17 memorization techniques to sharpen your memory & recall

We spend a great deal of time remembering the past and thinking about the future. In both cases, memory helps us reminisce about yesterday and plan for tomorrow. 

If you want to make the most of your brain power, learning and practicing memory techniques can boost your recall, help you associate data, and even strengthen memories. Try some new methods to keep your brain healthy and your memories alive. 

5 fundamental methods and techniques for improving memory

Memorization tools can help you understand and employ the right techniques. Better memory helps you enhance life with the knowledge to shape your experience. It’s not just about storing random facts or figures. Using these techniques, you can improve your ability to learn new skills, safeguard important information, and navigate daily challenges more efficiently. 

Here are some of the best memorization techniques to boost your cognitive skills: 

1. Utilize mnemonic devices

Create a simple, catchy phrase or acronym from the first letters of the list you’re trying to remember. This technique associates unfamiliar terms with something familiar, making it easier for your brain to recall the information.

For example, many teachers teach the mnemonic “Roy G. Biv.” This acronym stands for Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. It helps students memorize the colors of the rainbow, and mnemonic devices like this show promise for helping with long-term memory retention.

2. Practice chunking

Break down large pieces of information into smaller, manageable groups or chunks. By organizing data into bite-size pieces, you can improve the amount of information you can hold and recall from your short-term memory.

For example, when you learn a phone number, it’s easier to recall when put into a familiar pattern. A string of 10 to 11 digits may be difficult to retain, but the recognized pattern for your local area is in small chunks (for example, XXX-XXX-XXXX in the US and Canada). It makes the data much easier to retain.

3. Try spaced repetition

Space out your study sessions over time instead of cramming them all simultaneously. Reviewing material over increasing intervals reinforces memory retention and makes long-term memorization more effective.

For instance, if you’re studying for a chapter test, you may study the chapter summaries one day, and review key concepts two days later. Then, on the last day of the week, do some practice questions to solidify your understanding before the test.

4. Apply the storytelling method

Turn the information into a story or narrative. You leverage your brain’s natural preference for storytelling and memory recall by embedding facts in a story in your own words.

For example, if you’re studying for a history test, read or construct a story about the subject matter to put the facts in a narrative that’s easier to remember.

5. Use visual aids

Create mind maps, diagrams, or flashcards. Visual representations can help solidify and connect concepts in your mind, making it easier to retrieve information when needed. 

For instance, when learning vocabulary in a new language, you could create flashcards with the word on one side and its translation on the other. Review these daily to gradually build your proficiency and recall. 

12 verbal and visual memorization exercises that help your memory 

You can boost your cognitive skills with verbal and visual exercises. Try one of these brain memorization techniques to improve your retention, keep your mind sharp, and engage different areas of your brain. These activities benefit mental fitness and neuroplasticity for most people, regardless of learning style: 

• Crosswords: Engage in daily crossword puzzles to enhance your word retrieval skills and language. Learning words in other languages can also improve your English, and vice versa.
• Sudokus: Solve sudoku puzzles to improve logical thinking and pattern recognition, which is crucial for memory retention.
• Enjoy daily reading: Set aside time each day for reading, which increases cognitive engagement and strengthens neural connections. (Need a new book recommendation? Try some from this personal growth book list.)
• Acquire a new language: Challenge yourself with a new language to boost cognitive flexibility and memory storage capacity.
• Learn a musical instrument: Playing an instrument requires verbal and visual memory while improving hand-eye coordination.
• Play memory games: Brain games for adults, like matching pairs, quizzes, or Simon Says, stimulate concentration and short-term memory recall.
• Build mindfulness: Practice relaxation techniques for stress relief, better focus, and enhanced memory retention.
• Try journaling: Start journaling your experiences and learnings daily to consolidate memories and reflect on them later. You can get started with some of these useful journal prompts.
• Visualization: Picture the information in your mind in vivid detail. Create mental images or visualizations around what you’re trying to remember.
• Color coding: Use different colors for notes or texts to categorize information. Colors can help trigger memory recall by associating hues with specific topics.
• The Method of Loci (The Mind Palace): Using the Memory Palace technique, you associate the information you want to remember with specific locations. Contextualizing it within a familiar place, like your home, lets you walk through and mentally recall items.
• Symbolic representation: Convert complex information into symbols or simple drawings. These symbols act as visual cues that can simplify and reinforce memory.

By practicing these verbal and visual techniques to improve memory, you harness the power of sight to boost your memory retention capabilities.

Can your lifestyle improve your memory?

Adopting healthier habits can boost your memory power and aid your memorization skills. Building good habits like physical exercise, a balanced diet, sufficient sleep, stress reduction, and reduced alcohol intake can create the optimal environment for using more of your brain to retain information.

Diet

Healthy eating can enhance executive functioning and memory. Include brain-boosting foods in your diet, like fatty fish, turmeric, broccoli, legumes, dark chocolate, fruits, potatoes, and nuts. Reducing alcohol consumption also reduces the risk of developing conditions that lead to memory loss. Adding a multivitamin is another way to boost memory function in older adults. 

Exercise

Exercise benefits the body in many ways. It increases blood flow to the whole body, including the brain, which can help improve memory recall and cognitive sharpness. Moderate-intensity exercise can boost memory power, but even gentle exercise like walking is especially helpful as you age.

Sleep

Prioritizing seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night allows your brain to consolidate memories and process information more effectively. Good-quality sleep hygiene can set the stage for new memory creation, increase problem-solving skills, and improve emotional regulation. 

Stress-reduction

Reducing stress and worry through meditation, mindful breathing exercises, or yoga can better memory retention and reduce brain fog symptoms. Stress reduction lowers cortisol levels, which otherwise impair cognitive functions.

Socializing

Regular interaction with friends and loved ones can combat stress, loneliness, and depression, which contribute to memory loss. Spending time with people you enjoy can also boost mental clarity and lighten your mood.

Understanding types of memory and how your brain memorizes information

Memorizing information is a fascinating process that relies on different types of memory. When you experience something new, your brain sends information through neurons to create a new pathway in the brain. The more times information travels this pathway, the more information the brain retains.

Think about walking through a neighborhood for the first time. The more you walk the route, the clearer it becomes. These repeated experiences reinforce the pathway, making recall easier and faster. Neurons act like tiny messengers, darting across synapses with bits of information. They link together concepts and experiences in a vast network. 

Memory encoding, which is the process of writing memories into your brain, can be enhanced by how you feel while learning. Emotions embed memories deeper into your neural architecture. 

Working memory

Working memory is the human brain’s temporary storage system, holding the information you need “at the moment.” For instance, you might hold several sums in working memory while computing a math problem in your head.

Working memory is essential for critical thinking, learning, and comprehension tasks. This cognitive function lets you retain and manipulate data points over short periods. It can help you understand a conversation, read a book, solve a problem, or make a plan of action. You can think of it as the mental scratchpad that allows you to carry out everyday activities efficiently. 

Short-term memory

Short-term memory holds onto bits of information you encounter throughout the day. Unlike working memory, which juggles data in the immediate present, short-term memory stores information for a bit longer. You may forget this data or you may transfer it to long-term memory. 

If working memory is a workspace, short-term memory is like a tote bag where you keep useful items. You clean it out regularly, but you have the information ready when you need it. Think of it as the place where you store a new phone number or the name of someone you just met. Short-term memory enables you to preserve information long enough to use or save it. It’s an important part of daily functioning. 

Long-term memory

Long-term memory serves as the brain’s library or hard drive, archiving an extensive collection of information. Everything from childhood memories to academic knowledge gets stored there. Once encoded, long-term memory stays with you for years or even decades. 

This type of memory allows you to recall past experiences, learned facts, and skills such as riding a bike or playing an instrument. Long-term memory is also part of the foundation of identity since your experiences inform your current behavior.

Why are memorization techniques so important?

Memorization is a complex cognitive process that encodes, stores, and retrieves information over time. It's the brain’s way of organizing and retaining details from our experiences. Memory enables us to learn, adapt, plan, and form connections between past and present events. For this reason, memorization tools can help you improve your ability to learn new skills, safeguard important information, and navigate daily challenges more efficiently.

Additionally, memory is pivotal to your functioning and enjoyment in daily life. Even mundane tasks and decisions rest on the foundation of your knowledge, skills, and experiences. Improving and maintaining your memory can help you grow as a person. With improved memory, you can empower yourself to become smarter and boost your academic and professional performance.

Using techniques to build a strong memory helps you continuously retain information, making long-term learning possible even after a short time. It also strengthens your social bonds. Strengthening these bonds allows you to remember personal details about others to make better connections.  

Memory function helps you:

• Improve work performance and academic achievement by being able to recall information quickly and accurately
• Build your confidence in social situations by remembering names, faces, and important details about others
• Foster emotional well-being by preserving memories that contribute to a sense of identity, self-concept, and personal history

Upgrade your memory with BetterUp

Sharpening your memory is crucial to navigating life’s complexities with ease. Adopting brain-healthy habits helps you set the stage for enhanced cognitive function. These practices not only fortify your memory but also enrich your overall well-being. 

Start incorporating memory-boosting practices into your daily routine and watch your skills transform. Enhance your memory and life by partnering with a BetterUp Coach.