Granted that we have great access to a vast amount of information these days, everyone would love to memorise things easily, regardless of our age and profession. In this article, we'll be going through some memory improvement techniques in our everyday lives.
📝 Techniques for Memory Retention
- Maximising our long-term memory, especially the implicit and explicit memory
- Practice classic memorisation techniques such as brain dump, memory place, concept maps, mnemonic devices, and spaced repetition
- Integrate various memorisation tools and apps alongside the memorisation techniques for better synergy
- Build a flexible memory toolkit and experiment with different memorisation techniques for different learning goals and needs
🤔Why Memory Matters
One of the most overused plot twists in many series and films is when an important character loses their memory, whether partially or completely. Think of The Bourne Identity, 50 First Dates, and Once Upon a Time — all feature major scenes where characters must relearn new information about themselves and others.
Memory is not just about remembering as many things as possible, but also putting meaning into the things we choose to remember across different timelines. Here are three ways memory influences our daily lives 1:
Shapes Self-Identity & Expression
- Having a sense of purpose, connection with others, and knowing your own likes and dislikes
Facilitates Everyday Learning & Routines
- Continuously building and storing knowledge, and also doing certain activities naturally (habits)
Unleashes Creativity & Imagination
- Drawing inspiration from personal experience and observation to solve a problem or create something
💭Types of Memory
Now, we'll review three main types of memory: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory 2, as well as their respective sub-branches.
🧩 Sensory memory
First, let's talk about the most immediate way to form new memories: through our senses. They are immediately stored in your short-term memory and stay in your mind for a moment.
Visual information
(Pictures and images)
Auditory information (Sounds, speech, and voices)
Tactile information
(Texture and sensations)
Important tip: Some sensory information can become long-term memory for a few reasons, such as strong focus on detail, repetition, or emotional connection. For instance, you might immediately recognise the voice of your favourite singer, even when they release a new song on the radio, because you frequently listen to their music on your Spotify playlist through your earphones while on the go.
🧩 Short-term memory
Short-term memory is a cognitive system that holds a small amount of information for immediate use. One direct example is remembering a new phone number on the spot before dialling it on your phone.
Additionally, short-term memory has a limited capacity, and the memory usually lasts for a few seconds to minutes. This is usually dependent on the type of cognitive load you have, which is the mental load that your brain uses to process new information.
If the new information that you are required to learn and process is complex and poorly organised (in a PowerPoint slide or paper), you are less likely to remember it for a long time. To have long-term memory transfer, you'll need to actually make sense of the information by paying full attention to it, really understanding it, reviewing it repeatedly, and also actively retrieving it when needed.
🧩 Long-term memory
Now, let's look at the other side of the coin, long-term memory, and discuss its cognitive significance in learning. Long-term memory is mainly divided into two categories: explicit memory and implicit memory.
Explicit Memory
- Memory that involves intentional recollection of facts and experiences
- Semantic memory (facts)
- Episodic memory (personal experiences)
- Examples: Remembering important dates and people's names during World War II, and remembering the songs being played during your graduation day
Implicit Memory
- Memory that doesn't involve intentional awareness, something that we just do unconsciously
- Procedural memory (skills and habits)
- Priming (subconscious influence due to prior knowledge) and classical conditioning (trained associations)
- Examples: Driving, cycling, playing the piano
In other words, explicit memory plays a significant role in terms of acquiring new knowledge to understand the happenings around us. It helps us to have effective learning and reasoning as we learn new subjects in school, which in turn helps us to develop problem-solving skills and creativity in the long run through cognitive processes like reflection and metacognition. On the other hand, implicit memory plays a significant role in mastering a new skill through practice and repetition until it becomes automatic and intuitive.
🧠 Classic Memory Improvement Techniques
Now, let's break down these five classic memorisation techniques 3 that you can try out to cultivate long-term memory.
✨ Brain Dumping
Brain dumping is an effective way to engage in active recall right after learning a new concept. How it works is you just take a few minutes to write down everything you can remember without referring to any notes or visual aids. Based on what you've written down, you can immediately tell what you have remembered and what you have missed.
✨ Memory Palace Technique (method of loci)
Next, let’s talk about the memory palace. At first glance, this method might seem unreal or fictional, but it is actually a legitimate memory technique used to memorise large amounts of information through the visualisation of a familiar place (like your house, or your favourite shopping mall). The more detailed the place you visualise, the more information you can store by assigning different topics or pieces of information to specific locations or routes within the “palace.”
This memorisation method is well-suited for visual and spatial learners, especially when you create a vivid mental image of different locations (like rooms or sections) along the different routes to the " palace". To strengthen your ability to retrieve and retain the memorised information, you'll need to consistently mentally walk through the different routes in the correct order.
If you have watched the BBC Sherlock series, you'll probably have heard about this. Sherlock Holmes uses this same technique to recall important information during the second episode of the second season — The Hounds of Baskerville.
✨ Concept Maps
Concept maps are a great way to train your brain to memorise information by connecting ideas together. Instead of memorising things individually and separately, concept maps help you remember them through their relationships, using linking words such as causes, effects, produced by, and includes. In other words, they help to organise and simplify chunks of topics and help you see the bigger picture.
✨ Mnemonic Devices
Mnemonic devices are one of the most common and fun ways to improve memory, especially through word patterns and associations. Some examples include the following:
Acrostic
- Forming a sentence where each word starts with the same letter.
- Eg: No Plan Like Yours To Study History Wisely
- Norman, Plantagenet, Lancaster, York, Tudor, Stuart, Hanover, Windsor
(Dynasties of England)
Acronym
- Using the first letter to form words/concepts
- Eg: SOHCAHTOA
- Sine = Opposite / Hypotenuse
Cosine = Adjacent / Hypotenuse
Tangent = Opposite / Adjacent
(Trigonometry functions)
Rhythm/
Rhyming
- Using the unique feature of rhyming/rhythm to make things memorable
- Eg: Divorced, beheaded, died / Divorced, beheaded, survived
- The death of Henry VIII's six wives in order
✨ Spaced Repetition
Finally, let's briefly talk about spaced repetition. It is considered an effective way to reduce our rate of forgetting, based on the concept of the forgetting curve developed by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus.
This is a memory technique that helps you to retain information for a long time through regular time intervals.
Instead of going hardcore and reviewing the information only once, you repeat the same review every 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks or a month to reinforce what you have learnt.
🌐 Memory-Boosting Tools & Apps
Having reviewed classic memorisation techniques, it’s now time to apply them through tools and apps that help you integrate them naturally into your daily routine. Here are some recommendations:
Highly customisable digital flashcards where you build your own decks and review them according to your chosen schedule
Useful for quick review, and open access to other public decks of quizzes by other users
Offers a wide range of mind-mapping templates to outline different topics and have an effective studying plan
A good way to train your mind with engaging in brain games to improve memory
The reason behind our recommendations?
Anki helps to promote deep-focused learning and memorisation for long-term retention, which follows the mechanism of spaced repetition and also retrieval practice. Quizlet offers flexibility and accessibility to have a more relaxed learning pace through fun matching games and quizzes: well-suited for light studying.
If you are a visual learner, you'll certainly benefit from MindMeister as you summarise important points through interactive mind maps and visualisations. Additionally, you can even attach notes and supporting materials while planning your revision route: breaking down deadlines and structuring your assignments too.
Finally, Lumosity is a great app that carefully incorporates cognitive-based games and activities to improve one's working memory, attention span, and even problem-solving skills, regardless of your age or skill level. Think of it like a workout for your brain, where you're faced with daily manageable challenges that are tailored to your unique strengths and weaknesses.
🧰 Building Your Memory Toolkit
With all the knowledge you have gathered so far, the next step is to build a memory toolkit tailored to your learning goals and preferences, allowing you to use it consistently for optimal learning outcomes. Here are some steps to help you adapt accordingly:
Step 1
Identify which memorisation technique(s) work best for you
Step 2
Set a feasible schedule to integrate it into your daily routine
Step 3
Track your progress to cultivate consistency and motivation
Step 4
Be open to feedback and flexible to minor adaptations according to different learning topics
As you identify which memorisation technique works best for you, you can start utilising the right tools that can help you systematically. From there, you should decide when and how long you are going to practice, for example, 30 minutes of reviewing flashcards two days a week to foster spaced repetition.
To track your progress more consistently, you can come out with a reminder on Google Calendar or set a checklist on your Notion page if you want to try out interleaving, for instance. Most importantly, remember to keep your memory kit flexible. Don't be afraid to experiment with varied memorisation techniques according to your learning needs and goals.
If you want to learn more about different ways to enhance your long-term memory, feel free to connect with an experienced psychology tutor on Superprof.
Just key in your desired subject and current location to start browsing a wide selection of tutors' profiles around you.
Take your time to read through the tutors' teaching experience, qualifications, methodology, online reviews, and hourly rates.
Once you have decided, you can message the tutor directly via the messaging feature.
We hope this article has inspired you to explore different memorisation techniques. Unlock your full cognitive potential for the best learning experience!
References
- Booth, N. (2022, January 28). What does research say about memory, and what can we do to enhance long-term learning in the classroom? My College. https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/what-does-research-say-about-memory-and-what-can-we-do-to-enhance-long-term-learning-in-the-classroom/
- Cowan, N. (2008). Chapter 20. What are the differences between long-term, short-term, and working memory? Progress in Brain Research, 323–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0079-6123(07)00020-9
- Mozafaripour, S. (2025, April 16). Science-Backed Memory Tips, Strategies and Recall Techniques. University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. https://www.usa.edu/blog/science-backed-memory-tips/
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