There is no such thing as a "bad memory", and everyone can improve their memory, as long as you are not suffering from memory loss as a medical condition. If you want to improve your memory, there are a number of things you can do, from eating blueberries to using a variety of mnemonic devices. If you're optimistic and dedicated, you'll be able to improve your memory, whether you want to win the World Memory Championships, ace your history test, or simply remember where you put your keys.
to suffer from N: 受苦於…
memory loss (n) 記憶喪失
medical (a) 醫療方面的
condition (n) 狀態
improve (v) 增進
a variety of N: 許多的…
mnemonic /nɪˈmɒnɪk/ device (n) 訓練記憶力的技巧
optimistic (a) 樂觀
dedicated (a) 用心
championship (n) 競賽
ace (v) 做成功
3 Methods:
Using Mnemonic Devices
Trying Other Tricks
Improving Your Lifestyle
Method 1 of 3: Using Mnemonic Devices
1. Use association to remember facts. To use association effectively, you can create an image in your mind to help you remember a word or an image. For example, if you have a hard time remembering that JFK was the president involved in the Bay of Pigs invasion, just picture the handsome president swimming in an ocean surrounded by happy, oinking pigs. This is absolutely silly, but this concrete image in your mind will forever help you link the president with this event.
association (n) 關聯事物
president (n) 總統
involved (a) 參與
bay (n) 海灣
invasion (n) 入侵
Bay of Pigs Invasion (n) 豬灣事件
oink (v) 豬叫
concrete (a) 具象化的
to link A with B: 將A與B連結起來
2. Use association to remember numbers. Let's say you keep forgetting your student ID every time you need to use it again. Just break down the number into smaller chunks and create images associated with those chunks. Let's say the number is 12-7575-23. Find a way to make these numbers meaningful. Let's say "12" happens to be your house number, "75" happens to be your grandmother's age, and the number "23" is Michael Jordan's jersey number. Here's what you can visualize to remember the number:
chunk (n) 塊狀物
to break down: 分成小部分
associated (a) 有關聯的
let’s say…: 比如說…
happen (v) 剛好
jersey (n) 球衣
visualize (v) 圖像化
Picture your house with two copies of your grandmother standing to the right, showing that the house comes first. Then imagine Michael Jordan standing to the right of your grandmothers. There you have it -- 12 (your house), 7575 (double-dose of Grandma) and 23, the basketball star.
picture (v) 想像
Michael Jordan 麥可喬登
dose (n) 份
3. Use chunking. Chunking is a way of grouping things together to help you memorize them. Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. For example, list all of the fruits together, the dairy products together, and the bread products together. This will not only help you memorize the list, but it'll make your shopping experience much faster.
chunking (n) 分塊
group (v) 分組
random (a) 隨意不規律的
list (n) 清單
categorize (v) 分類
individual (a) 個別
list (v) 列出
dairy (a) 乳製品
If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you’ll find it easier to remember all four.
Chunking is what we do when we list a phone number with dashes. Which looks easier to memorize, 8564359820, or 856-435-9820?
dash (n) 破折號
You probably won't remember 17761812184818651898, but try putting a space after every fourth number. Now you can see that those numbers are years, and you can pick key events from each year to help you remember the string of numbers (such as the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War, and Spanish-American War).
key (a) 主要的
event (n) 事件
string (n) 一串
revolutionary (a) 革命的
Revolutionary War: 美國獨立戰爭
War of 1812: 英美戰爭
civil (a) 國內的
Civil War: 美國南北內戰
4. Use rhymes. Using a variety of common and silly rhymes can help you recall basic information. For example, if you're trying to figure out if April has 30 or 31 days, just say the old rhyme aloud: "Thirty days has September, April, June, and November." Then you'll remember that April does indeed have 30 days. Here are some other rhymes to use as memory tools:
rhyme (n) 押韻的歌
recall (v) 回想起
to figure out: 弄清楚
aloud (ad) 大聲地
indeed (ad) 確實地
"In fourteen-hundred ninety-two, Columbus
sail (v) 航行
A child can learn the alphabet by singing it to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," which makes the letters rhyme.
alphabet (n) 字母
sing to the tune of…: 跟著…歌曲唱
rhyme (v) 押韻
5. Use acronyms. Acronyms are another wonderful tool for remembering a variety of things, from the names of the five Great Lakes to the words used as conjunctions. You can use a popular acronym, or create one for yourself. For example, if you're going to the store and know you only need Butter, Lettuce, Bread, and Unagi, then just create a word out of the first letter of each term: "BULB" -- Butter, Unagi, Lettuce, and Bread. Here are some popular acronyms to use:
acronym (n) 頭字詞
conjunction (n) 連接詞
lettuce (n) 萵苣
unagi (n) 日本話的鰻魚
HOMES. This one is used for remembering the Great Lakes : Huron, Ontario , Michigan Erie Superior
Huron (n) 休倫湖
Superior (n) 蘇必略湖
ROY G. BIV. This man's name can help you remember the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange
indigo (n) 靛藍
violet (n) 紫色
FOIL. This will help you remember how to multiply two binomial terms: First, Outer, Inner, Last.
foil (n) 錫箔紙
multiply (v) 乘
binominal (a) 兩項式
FANBOYS. This acronym can help you remember simple coordinating conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.
fanboy (n) 迷電玩等玩意的男孩
coordinating conjunction: 對等連接詞
6. Use acrostics. Acrostics are similar to acronyms, except instead of just remembering the acronym, you can remember a new sentence made out of the first letters of a set of words that you have to memorize in a certain order. For example, you can say, "My very eager mother just sent us noodles." to learn the order of the planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. You can also make up acrostics of your own. Here are a few more popular acrostics:
acrostic (n) 離合詩
similar (a) 類似於
except (conj) 只是…
instead of …, …: 不…, 而…
eager (a) 熱心的
order (n) 順序
Mercury (n) 水星
Venus (n) 金星
Jupiter (n) 木星
Saturn (n) 土星
Uranus (n) 天王星
to make up: 組合
popular (a) 受歡迎的
Every Good Boy Does Fine. This is used for memorizing the lines on the treble music staff: EGBDF.
treble music staff: 五線譜
Never Eat Sour Watermelons. This is used for remembering the points of a compass in clockwise order: North, East, South, and West. Another good example is Never Eat Shredded Wheat which also rhymes too.
sour (a) 酸
compass (n) 指南針
clockwise (a) 順時針
shredded (a) 碎的
wheat (n) 小麥
King Philip Can Only Find His Green Slippers. Use this to memorize the order of the classification system: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
slipper (n) 拖鞋
classification (n) 分類
system (n) 系統
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species: 界門綱目科屬種
Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. Use this to remember the order of operations in mathematics: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction.
excuse (v) 原諒
operation (n) 運算
parentheses (n) 括號
exponent (n) 指數
7. Use the method of Loci. This method has been used since the time of Ancient Greece. To use this method, simply imagine placing the items you want to remember along a route you're very familiar with, or in specific locations in a familiar room or building. First, pick a familiar path; then, picture the things you want to do or memorize along that path.
method (n) 方法
Ancient Greece
imagine (v) 想像
route [rut] (n) 路徑
specific (a) 特定的
location (n) 地點
familiar (a) 熟悉的
along (prep) 沿著
If you needed to memorize the acronyms HOMES, FANBOYS, and FOIL, you can picture a miniature home, on your front porch, a loud group of fan boys cheering on your stairs, and some foil wrapped around your bed.
miniature (a) 小型的
porch (n) 前廊
loud (a) 吵鬧的
cheer (v) 歡鬧
stair (n) 樓梯
foil (n) 錫箔紙
wrap (v) 包
Method 2 of 3: Trying Other Tricks
1. Remember a person's name. Use a popular trick out of FDR's playbook for memorizing a person's name. When a person introduces themselves to you, picture them with their name written on their forehead. This will associate the image of that person with their name.
FDR (n) 羅斯福總統
playbook (n) 劇本 -> 行為方式
picture (v) 想像
forehead (n) 前額
associate A with B: 把A與B聯繫起來
2. Move your eyes from side to side. Studies show that moving your eyes from side to side for just 30 seconds once a day will align the two parts of your brain and make your memory work more smoothly. Try this trick when you wake up in the morning.
align (v) 校直
smoothly (ad) 順
3. Smell rosemary. Studies show that smelling rosemary can improve your recall. Carry around a sprig of rosemary or smell rosemary oil once a day. The Ancient Greeks even put a sprig of rosemary behind their ears on exam days to help them boost their memories.
rosemary (n) 迷迭香
recall (n) 記憶力
sprig (n) 小枝
Ancient Greek (n) 古希臘人
boost (v) 增強
4. Use your environment. Change the normal location of things to remember to do something. If you need to remember to take your multivitamins every morning, then put the toaster on its side, and only put it back in its normal place after you've taken your vitamins. Seeing the toaster out of place will remind you that something is off and that there's something you need to remember.
multivitamin (n) 綜合維他命
toaster (n) 烤麵包機
put A on its side: 把A横放著
place (n) 位置
out of place: 不在正常的位置
remind (v) 提醒
off (a) 怪怪的
If you need to remember something important, such as a person's birthday, just wear your wristwatch on your other wrist. You'll remember that there was something important you had to do when you see that the watch is out of position.
wristwatch (n) 腕表
wrist (n) 手腕
to be out of position: 不在正確的位置
5. Exercise your brain. Regularly "exercising" the brain keeps it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills -- especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument -- and challenging your brain with puzzles and games, you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.
exercise (v) 運用
spur (v) 刺激
nerve (n) 神經
connection (n) 連結
mental (a) 心智
complex (a) 複雜
physiological (a) 生理的
functioning (n) 運作
Try some fun puzzle exercises everyday such as crosswords, Sudoku, and other games which are easy enough for anyone.
crossword (n) 拼字遊戲
sudoku (n) 數獨
Get out of your comfort zone and pick something that is new and challenging, which makes you flex your brain muscles. Try to play chess or a fast-paced board game.
comfort zone (n) 舒適區域 -> 熟悉的事物
flex (v) 收緊
muscle (n) 肌肉
chess (n) 西洋棋
fast-paced (a) 快節奏的
board game (n) 桌上遊戲
6. Stop thinking that you have a "bad memory." Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve. Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Celebrate even little achievements to keep yourself motivated.
convince (v) 使信服
to get stuck: 受困
A slips out of one’s mind: 記不住A
motivated (a) 受激勵的
7. Say things you want to remember aloud. If you have trouble remembering whether you took your medication every morning, just say, "I just took my medication!" right after you took it, to reinforce this idea in your mind. Saying this aloud will help you remember that you did indeed take your medication.
aloud (ad) 大聲地
medication (n) 藥
reinforce (v) 增強
This also works if you're meeting a new person and don't want to forget his name. Just repeat the name naturally after you learn it: "Hi, Sarah, it's nice to meet you."
This also works to remember an address or a meeting time. Just repeat it aloud to the person who invited you: "The Grand Tavern at 7? That sounds perfect."
tavern (n) 酒館
8. Deepen your breathing when you have to remember something. When it's time to study or remember something new, switch your breathing pattern to be slower and deeper. Deeper and slower breathing actually changes the way your brain works, by inducing the brain's electrical pulses to switch to Theta waves, which normally occur in your brain in hypnagogic sleep.
deepen (v) 加深
switch (v) 轉換
pattern (n) 模式
induce (v) 引
pulse (n) 脈衝
Theta wave: 腦波的一種
hypnagogic /͵hɪpnəˋgɑdʒɪk / (a) 臨入眠前的
To activate your Theta waves, switch your breathing to your lower abdomen - in other words, start breathing deeply from your stomach. Consciously slow your rate of breathing too.
activate (v) 啟動
abdomen [ˋæbdəmən] (n) 腹部
consciously (ad) 有意識地
After a few moments, you should feel calmer, the Theta waves should be flowing in your brain, and you should be more receptive to remembering new information.
receptive (a) 易於接受
9. Use flash cards. Flash cards are especially useful for studying. It's essentially a card with a question on one side and the answer on the other. (You can also put two things you want to associate on opposite sides of a flashcard.) In the course of learning a topic, you would have a stack of cards and would go through them testing yourself. Those that you got right you would put to one side and review a few days later.
flash card: 圖卡
opposite (a) 相反
topic (n) 科目
stack (n) 疊
Place the terms you remembered in one pile, and the ones you need to know in another. Keep going until all of the cards are in the "know" pile, even if you need to take breaks.
pile (n) 堆
take breaks: 休息
Go back to your flash cards the next day and see if you've still memorized the terms on them.
10. Don't cram for an exam. Cramming only works to put information in your short-term memory. You may remember the information for your exam the next day, but you will barely recall them unit when it's time to take the final. Spacing out your studying is important because it gives your brain time to encode the information and store it in your long-term memory.
cram (v) 強記
to space … out: 拉開…的間隔時間
encode (v) 解讀
Method 3 of 3: Improving Your Lifestyle
1. Organize your life. Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things.
to keep track of …: 記錄…
due (a) 到期的
to free up …: 釋放…
Even if being organized doesn’t improve your memory, you’ll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won’t have to search for your keys anymore).
2. Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body -- including the brain -- and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental "pictures".
aerobic (a) 有氧的
to ward off …: 抵擋…
uptake (n) 吸收
Even just walking for 30 minutes a day is a fantastic form of exercise.
3. Reduce stress. Chronic stress does in fact physically damage the brain, it can make remembering much more difficult. After prolonged stress, the brain will start to become affected and deteriorate. Stress may never be completely eliminated from one's life, but it definitely can be controlled. Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things.
chronic (a) 慢性的
prolonged (a) 長期的
deteriorate (v) 惡化
eliminate (v) 消除
Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress as soon as possible.
Meditate for at least 15 minutes a day. This will help you slow down your breathing and relax.
meditate (v) 冥想
Reduce your caffeine intake. Caffeine can make you feel more anxious and stressed.
intake (n) 攝入
Give yourself a massage or get one from a friend. This will help your body loosen up.
to loosen up: 放鬆
Reduce stress by spending more time being social with your friends. Being a more social creature and talking to people more will also improve your memory.
social (a) 好社交的
Take the time to laugh. Laughing will not only make you less stressed, but it will make your mind more receptive to forming new memories.
4. Eat well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests. A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants -- broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example -- and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning.
claim (v) 宣稱
antioxidant (n) 抗氧化物
Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Niacin and Vitamin B-6.
Thiamine /ˈθaɪəmiːn/ (n) 維他命B1的一種
Niacin /ˈnaɪəsɪn / (n) 菸鹼酸
Grazing, or eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain. Make sure it's healthy stuff.
graze (v) 少量多餐
dip (n) 降低
Some studies show that drinking at least 8 ounces of purple grape juice a day can improve your memory.
5. Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don’t really learn people’s names at first because we aren’t really concentrating on remembering them. You’ll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you’ll do much better.
observational (a) 觀察
to relate to …: 對…感同身受
One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you’re able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.
observant (a) 具觀察力
to turn … over: 反轉…
glimpse (n) 一瞥
6. Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you’re trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.
fragile (a) 脆弱
distraction (n) 讓人分心的事物
7. Sleep well. The amount of sleep we get affects the brain's ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night's sleep -- a minimum of seven hours a night -- may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at theHarvard Medical School
Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every night. This will make you feel much more rested.
Spend at least half an hour reading in bed and winding down before you go to bed.
to wind down: 歇一歇
Shut off the TV, your computer, and any other visual stimulants at least an hour before bed.
stimulant (n) 刺激物
Take catnaps during the day. They can help you recharge your batteries and boost your memory.
catnap (n) 小睡
boost (v) 增強
Tips
Take a tray of objects (say, 10 objects). Study them for 30 seconds. Take the tray away and write down all the objects you can. Increase the number of items to exercise the mind even more. Or, get someone else to find the objects on the tray; this makes them harder to remember and will test you more.
tray (n) 盤
Memorize your favorite song or poem until you can say it to yourself without any help. Try to do this often.
If you're poetically inclined, try turning some things you need to know into a song or poem.
poetically (ad) 擅詩詞
to be … inclined: 有擅於…傾向的
Leave yourself a telephone message reminding yourself of important "to do" tasks.
Write the event or task down immediately. If you don't have a pen, one thing you can do is change the time on your watch; later on you will remember why it is set at the wrong time. You could also wear your watch upside down.
upside down : 上下倒反
Put black ink at the end of your palm to remember any important thing for the next day or for that day itself. Whenever you see the black dot, you'll remember what to do.
When studying, take a break every so often, and do something dynamic, run up and down the stairs a couple of times, go back to your work in ten minutes.
every so often: 偶而
dynamic (a) 有活力的
stair (n) 樓梯
There are also games that have been created to help you improve your memory. Playing some of these will help.
One easy method to help you remember people’s names is to look at the person when you are introduced and say the person’s name: "Nice to meet you, Bill." Another way to remember someone's name is to visualize that person holding hands with another person you know well with that name. It's weird but it works.
visualize (v) 視覺化
A large number of memory improvement products are available (a search on the internet will produce hundreds of such products). Most of these products actually teach you mnemonic strategies, and while some are no doubt bunk, some are legitimate.
improvement (n) 增進
product (n) 產品
available (a) 可得的
produce (v) 產生
mnemonic (a) 有助記憶的
strategy (n) 策略
no doubt 無疑地
bunk (n) 胡扯
legitimate (a) 合理
Write in a diary or journal every day without fail. Even small issues should be written down -- this is a good way to make sure you don't miss anything.
fail (n) 失敗
issue (n) 事情
miss (v) 遺漏
Try memorizing the order of a deck of playing cards. Although this may seem like a pointless task, it will allow you to discover memorization techniques that work best for you.
memorize (v) 記憶
deck (n) 一副牌
pointless (a) 無意義
allow (v) 讓
technique (n) 技巧
Visualize whatever you have to do as part of something you see every day. For example, if you have to give your dog some medicine, visualize your dog in your fridge every time you walk past it or look inside. This will keep your dog fresh in your mind.
visualize A as B: 將A化成B
fridge (n) 冰箱
past (adv) 經過
fresh (a) 印象鮮明
Most people’s brains are not very good at remembering abstract information, such as numbers. This is one of the things that separate those with eidetic, or photographic, memory from those with a great, normal memory. The key to being able to recall such things is to build associations and links that evoke the memory. This is why almost anybody with normal brain functioning can dramatically improve their ability to recall things using mnemonics. While building a memory palace, for example, actually requires that you "remember" more, by associating the thing to be remembered with other things (emotions, other memories, images, etc.). You build more mental "links" to the memory, thus making it easier to access.
abstract (a) 抽象的
separate A from B: 使A有別於B
eidetic /aɪˋdɛtɪk/ (a) 視覺記憶的
photographic memory: 過目不忘的記憶力
recall (v) 記憶
build (v) 建立
association (n) 關連物
link (n) 連結
evoke (v) 喚起
dramatically (ad) 戲劇性地
mnemonics /niˋmɑnɪks/ (n) 記憶術
memory palace: 記憶皇宮. 將抽象的記憶腦中具體化儲存, 好比建造宮殿一般.
require (v) 要求
associate A with B: 連繫A與B
emotion (n) 情緒
mental (a) 心理的
access (v) 取得
Warnings
If you notice a severe or sudden deterioration of memory, talk to your doctor immediately. Sometimes these can be precursors to Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
notice (v) 注意
severe (a) 嚴重的
deterioration (n) 損壞
immediately (adv) 立刻地
precursor (n) 前兆
Alzheimer’s disease (n) 阿茲海默症
dementia (n) 失智症
While some herbal supplements that claim to improve memory may in fact work, there is no conclusive evidence that any of these are effective. Most are harmless, however, and may be worth a try, but exercise caution: some supplements can have harmful effects, and not all contain what they say they contain.
herbal (a) 藥草的
supplement (n) 補充品
claim (v) 宣稱
improve (v) 增進
in fact: 確實
work (v) 有效用
conclusive (a) 證實的
evidence (n) 證明
effective (a) 有效果
harmless (a) 無害
worth (a) 值得
exercise (v) 運用
caution (n) 警覺
harmful (a) 有害的
contain (v) 包含
Solve any personal or some concerns that bother your mind. A peaceful mind leads to a good memory.
solve (v) 解決
concern (n) 擔慮
bother (v) 煩
lead (v) 導致
Exercise due diligence when purchasing a memory improvement product. Find out as much as you can about how the program works, and do your own research to determine if it will work for you. Some of these products are simply scams. Be especially wary of products that promise to improve your memory instantly or with little or no effort: effective strategies to improve recall take time and practice.
due diligence (n) 仔細調查
purchase (v) 購買
research (n) 研究
determine (v) 決定
scam (n) 騙局
be wary of …: 小心…
promise (v) 承諾
instantly (adv) 立即地
effort (n) 費力
effective (a) 有效的
strategy (n) 策略
recall (n) 記憶
中譯
沒有人天生記憶力就差, 人人都能增進記憶力, 只要不是因為疾病造成的記憶喪失. 如果你想要增進記憶, 有很多方法, 從多吃藍莓到活用記憶技巧. 如果你樂觀不懈怠, 就能夠增進記憶, 不管你是想贏世界記憶大賽冠軍, 歷史考好成績, 或是單純只想記起鑰匙放哪.
3大方法:
使用記憶技巧
嘗試其它技巧
改善生活方式
方法3之1: 使用記憶術
1. 用聯想法記住事件. 要有效使用聯想法, 你可以腦海創造一個圖像幫助記住一個字或一個圖. 舉例來說, 如果你覺得很難記住約翰甘迺迪是參與豬灣行動的總統, 試著想像一位帥氣總統在大海中游泳, 身邊包圍快樂哼叫的豬隻. 這感覺很蠢, 不過這種腦中實體化的圖像會持續助你將總統與事件聯結起來.
2. 用聯想法記數字. 假設你總是忘記學生證號碼, 當你需要用到它的時候. 試著將數字串分成小塊, 並創造與這些小塊連結的圖像. 假設數字串是12-7575-23. 試著給這些數字賦予意義. 可能12剛好是你家門牌號, 75是祖母歲數, 23是麥克喬登球衣號. 你可以這樣視覺化資訊以記住數字:
想像你家右邊站著兩位祖母, 房子在前. 接著想像喬登站在2位祖母右方. 這樣就行了 – 12(你家), 7575(一對祖母)以及23, 籃球球星.
3. 分塊法. 分塊是種將事情分組的方式, 以助記憶. 隨意條列的東西(如購物單)有時是特別難記住的. 可以這樣簡化它, 將單子上個別東西分類. 比如說, 水果類列一起, 乳製品一起, 麵包類一起. 這樣不只可以助你記住單子, 更能增快購物速度.
如果你這當中能記得你要買4種不同蔬菜, 你會發現記住這所有的4種變得更容易.
把電話用破折號分開就是分塊法. 哪種較易記, 8564359820, 還是856-435-9820?
你可能記不住17761812184818651898, 但試著每第4個數字後放進間隔. 現在你可以發現到數字是年份, 你可以每個年份抓出主要事件, 以幫助你記憶這串數字(比如獨立戰爭, 英美戰爭, 美墨戰爭, 南北內戰, 與美西戰爭).
4. 用韻歌. 一堆常見並傻氣的押韻歌能幫你回憶起基本資訊. 比如說, 你想想起到底四月是30還是31天, 你可以大聲唱這古老的韻歌: “9, 4, 6, 11月是30天.” 如此你便記得4月確定是有30天.以下是其他用作記憶工具的韻歌:
“1492年哥倫布航行藍海路.”
小孩可唱小星星的曲調學字母, 這首歌讓字母押韻.
5. 用頭字詞記. 頭字詞是另一個很棒的工具, 可利用來記很多事, 從5大湖的名字到連接詞. 你可以用某個受歡迎的頭字詞, 或自己造一個. 舉例說, 假設你要去商店買牛油, 萵苣, 麵包, 鰻魚, 便可以用每個詞的第一字母造出一個字: “BULB” – 牛油, 鰻魚, 萵苣, 麵包. 這裡是一些常見的頭字詞:
HOMES. 用來記5大湖: 休倫, 安大略, 密西根, 伊利, 蘇必略.
ROY G. BIV. 這是個男人名, 可用來記彩虹顏色: 紅橙黃綠藍靛紫.
FOIL. 用來記兩項式相乘口訣: 第一, 外面, 內面, 最後.
FANBOYS. 此縮寫組合詞用來記簡單的對等連接詞: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.
6. 用離合詩句. 類似頭字詞, 只不過不同於只記第一個字母, 這裡你是記用每組東西的第一個詞組成的一個新句子. 例如, 你用, “我那很熱心的媽媽剛寄給我們麵.” 來記行星順序: 水星、金星、地球、火星、木星、土星、天王星、海王星. 你更可自創自己的離合詩句. 以下是更多的常用離合句:
每個好男孩都表現好. 用來記五線譜線.
絕不要吃酸掉的西瓜. 用來記憶順時針方向羅盤的指向點: 北東南西. 另一好用的句子是: 絕不要吃碎麥, 也是押韻句.
菲利浦國王只找得到他的綠拖鞋. 用來記憶生物分類系統的順序: 界, 門, 綱, 目, 科, 屬, 種.
請原諒我親愛的Sally阿姨. 用來記住數學運算次序: 括指乘除加減.
7. 用LOCI法. 自從古希臘時就使用的方法. 要應用它, 只要想像沿一條熟悉的路徑上擺放你需要記住的東西, 或是擺在熟悉的房間或建築中的特定點上. 第一步, 挑一條熟悉的路; 接著, 想像要記住的事物是沿著那條路擺放著.
要記住縮寫組合詞HOMES, FANBOYS, 及FOIL, 請想像一個迷你屋在你家前廊上, 一群歡鬧的宅男們在你樓梯那歡呼, 鋁箔紙包住你的床.
1. 記人名. 用羅斯福總統的方法記人名. 當他人向你自我介紹時, 想像他們名字寫在額頭上. 這樣會把對方樣子與名字連結起來.
2. 左右移動眼睛. 研究指出一天花30秒移動眼睛可校直大腦兩邊部位而使記憶力運作更順. 一早起來可試試這方法.
3. 聞迷迭香. 研究指出聞迷迭香可以增進回想力. 帶一支迷迭香在身上或是每天聞迷迭香精油一次. 古希臘人甚至會考試時放支迷迭香在耳後以加強記憶.
4. 利用週遭環境. 改變平常物品擺放位置, 以提醒自己要做某事. 若你需要每日早晨服用維他命,就將烤吐司機橫放, 只有吃過維他命後才放回原來正常的位置. 看到放歪的吐司機會提醒你有些事不對勁, 有什麼事必須要想起來.
如你需要記住某件重要的事, 比如某人的生日, 可將手錶戴另一支手. 當你看到錶不是戴在平常的位置, 你便會記得有某件要事你必須去做.
5. 鍛鍊大腦. 固定 “鍛鍊” 大腦會讓大腦成長, 刺激新神經連結的發展, 這能助長記憶力. 藉著發展新的心智能力 – 特別是複雜的能力, 如學新語言, 學新的樂器 – 並用猜謎與遊戲挑戰大腦, 可讓大腦保持活動力並促進它的生理運作.
每天玩些有趣的解謎遊戲, 如字謎, 數獨, 及其他夠簡單人人都會玩的遊戲.
離開舒適圈, 去做新的有挑戰的事, 可鍛練腦肌肉收縮. 去玩西洋棋或是快節奏的桌遊.
6. 不要再懊惱於你的”爛記憶力”了. 說服自己你有很好的可以進步的記憶力. 太多人陷在這種情形, 總告訴自己記憶力差, 對記名字不在行, 總是因某原因記不起數字. 把這些想法除去, 誓言一定要增強記憶. 每當有點進步就慶祝一下, 讓自己有動力.
7. 大聲說出你要記的東西. 若你對於記起每天早上是否吃過藥這件事有困難, 可以吃過藥立刻說出: “我剛服過藥了!” 在意識裡加深印象. 大聲說出口可以助你記住你確實是服過藥.
這方法在當你新認識朋友又不想忘記他名字時也有效果. 在你知道名字後, 自然地覆頌名字:“嗨, SARAH, 很高興見到妳.”
這方法對當你需要記地址或會面時間也有效果. 大聲對邀請你的人覆頌資訊: “7點在GRAND酒館嗎? 聽起來不錯喔.”
8. 當需要記事情時, 深化你的呼吸. 當學習或記新東西時, 轉化呼吸模式, 使它變慢變深. 深且慢的呼吸可改變大腦運作模式, 方法是引導腦電脈至THETA波, 這種波通常是入睡前在腦裡發生.
要啟動THETA波, 將你的呼吸轉化到下腹部 – 意即開始使用胃部深呼吸. 並有意識地轉慢呼吸速率.
一段時間後, 會比較冷靜, THETA波會在腦裡流動, 你會更容易記得新訊息.
9. 用圖卡. 圖卡對學習十分有幫助. 它就是一張卡一面寫問題, 一面寫答案. (你還可以卡的兩面各放互有關聯的事物.) 在學習某科目過程中, 你會累積一疊卡, 可以一張一張作自我測驗. 答對的卡你可以收在一邊, 幾天後再來複習.
把你記住的放一疊, 要去記的放另一疊. 這樣持續直到所有的卡都在“已記的”那疊, 過程中休息也無妨.
第二天再溫習圖卡, 看是否仍記得上面內容.
10. 不臨時抱佛腳. 大量死記只能將資訊存在短期記憶裡. 你可能記得住第二天考試需要的資訊,但到期末考時就會一點都記不起. 將學習內容分段是很重要的, 因為如此可以給大腦時間解讀資訊, 再將它存入長期記憶區.
方法3之3
1. 規劃生活. 將常用物如鎖匙與太陽眼鏡每次都收在固定地方. 用電子筆記本或日誌記錄會面日,帳單到期日, 其他待辦事情. 將電話與地址記在地址簿或電腦, 手機裡. 更好的規律能助你釋出專注力, 如此必須記住的瑣事就少了些.
就算規律生活不能幫助記憶力, 你還是會得到很多好處 (如再不用找鎖匙找半天).
2. 每日運動. 規律的有’氧運動增進整個身體的循環與效率 – 包括腦部 – 且能避免隨老化而來的記憶力喪失. 運動並使你更敏捷更舒坦, 進而增進記憶理解力, 使你能拍攝更好的心智”圖片”.
就算每天只走路30分也是很好的運動型式.
3. 減低壓力. 長期壓力確實會造成腦部傷害, 會讓記東西愈變困難. 長久壓力下腦會開始受影響並退化. 壓力或許不能完全由生活中摒除, 但它絕對可以被掌控的. 就算暫時壓力會使人更難有效專注於概念性思考以及觀察事情.
試著放鬆, 規律作瑜珈, 或其他伸展運動, 如你受嚴重長期壓力, 應盡速就醫.
一天至少冥想15分. 能幫你慢下呼吸與放鬆.
減少咖啡因攝取. 咖啡因會讓你更焦慮與緊張.
按摩自己或請朋友按摩. 能幫助身體鬆弛.
多花時間與朋友往來以減壓. 多社交與和人交談能幫助增進記憶.
花時間笑. 笑不只讓你更放鬆, 更能讓你心智更易於製造新記憶.
4. 吃好吃對. 市面上很多草本營養補給品聲稱可增強記憶, 不過還沒有哪一種臨床證實是有效的.然而, 健康飲食有益於大腦健康, 抗氧化成分的食物 – 如綠花菜, 藍莓, 菠菜, 與莓果 – 以及OMEGA-3脂肪酸認定是可促進健康的腦部活動.
替腦補充補給品, 如維他命B-1, 菸鹼酸, 維他命B-6.
少量多餐, 意即一整天吃5到6餐, 而非3份大餐, 藉由限制血糖下跌, 因如此會對腦造成不好影響,也似乎可以增進心智功能 (包括記憶力). 確定是吃健康的東西.
一些研究指出一日喝至少8盎司葡萄汁可增進你的記憶力.
5. 照張好相(留心細節). 常常我們忘記事情不是因為記憶差, 而是因觀察技巧需要加強. 常見情況(幾乎人人都心有戚戚焉)例如認識新朋友. 我們不會立刻記住才認識的人的名字是因為沒有專注去記. 若你有意識地努力去記這些事, 會有進步的.
一個訓練自己更有觀察力的方法是去注視一張不熟悉的相片幾秒, 相片反轉蓋住, 盡你所能描述或寫下該照片細節. 閉眼並在腦中刻畫出該照片. 每次做這種訓練都用不同的照片, 規律訓練你會發現自己能記住更多細節, 即使只短短地瞥視幾次而已.
6. 給自己時間製造新記憶. 記憶短期是很脆弱的, 分心的事會讓你就連電話號碼般的小事也很快忘記. 避免讓記憶成型前失去記憶的關鍵在專注於要記的事物一段時間, 且不要想其他事, 因此當你試著記住某事時, 避開讓你分心的事情或困難的事幾分鐘.
7. 睡好覺. 睡眠量影響我們回想新習得資訊所需的腦力. 根據近期哈佛醫學院研究, 一夜好眠 –至少每晚7小時 – 能提升短期記憶與長期關連記憶.
每夜同一時間上床與醒來. 會讓你覺得休息得更好.
睡前花至少半小時在床上閱讀與靜下來.
上床前半小時關電視, 電腦, 其他任何對視覺刺激的東西.
日間小睡. 會給你充電效果, 增進記憶力.
技巧
拿一盤物品 (假設, 10個). 仔細研究30秒. 把盤子拿開並盡可能寫下所有物品. 增加物品數量以盡一步訓練腦力. 或是, 找別人準備物品; 這樣會讓物品更難記, 更有挑戰.
背你最喜歡的歌或詩, 直到你可自己咏頌而不需任何幫助. 常常這樣練.
如果你很有詩詞天份, 試試將一些你要記的事寫成歌或詩.
給自己電話留言提醒自己重要的代辦事項.
立刻寫下事件或代辦事項. 若你沒有筆, 你可以做一件事, 就是改變錶的時間; 過會兒你會想起為什麼它被設定成錯誤的時間. 你還可以反戴手錶.
手掌末端上黑顏料, 好記住明天或當天重要的事. 每當你看到黑點, 你就會記起要做的事.
K書時, 不時休息一下, 做些有活力的事, 跑上跑下樓梯數次, 10分鐘內再回去苦讀.
也有設計出來為了增進記憶的遊戲. 玩玩其中一些會有幫助.
一個幫助你記憶人名的簡單方法, 便是注視著這位你被介紹認識的對象, 同時說出對方名字:“很高興認識你, Bill.” 另一個記人名的方法是想像對方跟另一個你熟識的人握手, 剛好也叫這個名字.
增強記憶商品大多汲手可得(網路找一下會出現上百件這類產品). 這些產品大部分是教你記憶策略, 雖然有些無疑是胡扯一通, 不過有些倒還算有用.
每天寫日記或記事本, 不要間斷. 即使小事也應記下 – 這是確保你不遺漏事情的好方法.
試著記憶一副樸克的順序. 雖說這看來像是無意義的任務, 卻會讓你找出對你最有效的記憶技巧.
將你必須做的事圖像化, 把它想成每天看見的東西. 例如, 若你必須給狗餵藥, 每當經過冰箱或看冰箱裡面時, 就想像你的狗在冰箱裡. 這會讓你常常想起狗.
大部分人的大腦對於記抽象資訊不是很在行, 比如數字. 這是視覺記憶高手與一般好記憶力者的不同處之一. 要記憶這類資訊的訣竅是建立關連事物與聯繫以喚起記憶. 這就是為何幾乎所有大腦運作正常的人可以藉記憶術戲劇化地增進回憶事物的能力. 例如, 當建立記憶宮殿, 實際上需要你”記住”更多, 因為要將需記的主體與其他事物(情感, 其它記憶, 影像等等)連結. 你為這記憶主體建立更多心智”連結”, 使其更容易被記起.
注意事項
若你注意到你有嚴重或突然的記憶衰退, 馬上去看你的醫生. 有時這些是阿茲海默或失智症前兆.
某些草本補給品聲稱會幫助記憶, 也許真的有效, 但目前沒有結論性實證證明這些產品中哪一個真的有效. 不過大部份產品無害, 也許值得一試, 只是要小心: 一些補給品會有有害的副作用, 也不是所有都含有廠商宣稱的成分.
除去任何私人的或會攪擾你的擔憂. 平靜的心讓你有好的記憶力.
當買某樣記憶增進產品要事先調查. 盡你可能研究產品如何運作, 進行自己研究以決定是否對你有效. 某些這類產品只是騙人的東西. 要特別小心會保證立即增進記憶或是只需少量努力或不需努力的產品: 有效的增進記憶的策略是需時間與練習的.
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