4 Tricks To Have A Better Memory, From A Brain Researcher

If you tend to forget names easily, constantly misplace your things, or unknowingly double-book yourself, you might be ready for some memory training.

That's right—you can actually improve your memory with intentional exercises and practices, and it doesn't have to take up too much time, either.

Forgetting names doesn't necessarily mean you have a bad memory—it might just mean you weren't putting in enough effort to remember it (by no fault of your own; it's super common!). Instead of meeting someone new and moving on to small talk, try to devote a few seconds to really ingrain that name into your mind.

"Imagine writing their name on their forehead right after they say their name, [so] you focus on their name for an extra few seconds. Your brain goes, 'Oh, this information is worth it,'" Milstein says. "Instead of throwing it away, it transfers it to long-term memory."  

Society certainly provides an ominous pressure to work, work, and keep working without breaks (aka, hustle culture). When it comes to your brain, though, a break is actually necessary every once in a while if you want to stay focused.

If you never take a day off, skip your lunch break (or eat while working), or fill your weekends with even more work, your brain will be craving a moment of peace sooner or later. "We can be burning ourselves out," Milstein says. Think of burnout as your brain force-quitting your momentum.

If you have an important day coming up—say, the first day of a new job, a presentation, or even a big event you simply want to remember for the long haul—you should try to get as much sleep as you can the day-of (and the days before and after, of course). 

See, when you learn something new, your brain cells make new connections. "The moment you make the connection is the moment you learn it," Milstein explains. "Then when you sleep at night, you make that connection stronger and stick," he notes. This is why it's so important to get high-quality sleep for cognitive health—if you don't, your brain won't have as much time to really lock in new information.

Evolutionarily, our minds aren't naturally hardwired to remember complex math equations or codes (though it's pretty cool that we can). "We're programmed to remember things that have real meaning, as opposed to just a random string of numbers," Milstein says.

So if you frequently forget your passwords, that's actually more innate (and common) than you think. "Don't feel bad about those things," Milstein says. Especially when you have a million other tasks going on, random information like that easily gets trashed to make room for more important things.

However, "If the thing that we're learning has meaning, if it has some emotional element to it (it's funny, it's scary, etc.), it's more likely to stick," Milstein notes. This is why you might remember every second of the last scary movie you watched yet slip up on your best friend's phone number.

To those who forget passwords, plans, and phone numbers—you're not alone. The brain naturally forgets information it deems unimportant, which is why these exercises come in so handy.

Try to tie an emotion to the information, say it a few times in your head, or visualize it written down. And of course, always prioritize brain breaks and get enough sleep.