We’ve all experienced lapses in memory: walking into a room and not remembering why we entered in the first place, not remembering where we placed those elusive car keys, not remembering where we parked out car in the parking lot, or where our glasses are when they’re right on top of our head. But despite that we’ve spent our lives “forgetting” these mundane things, studies indicate that the average person experiences increased memory as the mind ages.
But according to Judson University professor of psychology Dr. Rob Currie, who recently held a presentation in Sun City in early May, there are tips and exercises to keep your mind tuned and sharp and in shape.
“The average person’s memory declines a little bit,” Dr. Currie said. “But there’s a lot of variation.”
When Dr. Currie visited Sun City audiences, he recommended three techniques for improving memory recall.
Technique 1: Picture it
“Make a mental image of it,” Dr. Currie said.
Dr. Currie provided an example in which a person is trying to remember the name Bill. He suggests to picture a duck bill coming out of the person’s face.
As funny as that sounds, this trick or association grounds the name Bill into your memory because “there’s more space devoted in your brain to vision than to any other sensory capacity,” Dr. Currie explained. “More than hearing, more than smelling, more than tasting, and so on.
“If you want to remember something,” Dr. Currie said, “recruit a big part of your brain. Picture it.”
Technique 2: Apply it
“You use the information you’re trying to remember. You repeat it to someone else,” Dr. Currie said.
Or, Dr. Currie said, when being instructed on something new, make sure to do it yourself, rather than letting the instructor just show you how to do it.
Technique 3: Spread out the studying
Dr. Currie explained that practicing something every day, such as a piano for example, rather than just once a week will aid your ability to remember the task.
These three techniques comprise the acronym PASS (Picture it, Apply it, Spread out the Studying).
Dr. Currie said that the average person has moderate decline in memory but that there are a lot of variables such as attitude, choices made in regard to keeping oneself “sharp,” and overall health, all of which impact a person’s ability for memory recall.
“It might not be age,” Dr. Currie said about memory loss but circumstance.
Dr. Currie provided some other quick tips for helping individuals with the mundane lapses in memory, such remembering where you parked your car or where you placed your keys.
“Have a set spot for where you parked your car or where you put your keys,” Dr. Currie said, which creates a simple system for remembering items such as this.
Dr. Currie also stated that brain science supports learning something new, no matter what it is, be it a game, hobby, etc…, keeps the mind stronger and in better condition as the average person ages.
“The strongest benefit comes from something new,” Dr. Currie said.
The adult brain still can grow, Dr. Currie explained.
“Brain cells are like branches on a tree,” Dr. Currie said. “And particularly when we are learning a new skill, it sprouts new branches. If you think about a tree, if it sprouts more leaves, it can take in more nourishment and be a healthier tree. The more pathways there are for messages, the more effectively the brain can make decisions and remember things.”
