{"id":80034,"date":"2026-04-13T12:53:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T16:53:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=80034"},"modified":"2026-04-13T12:53:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T16:53:46","slug":"five-tips-to-make-your-memory-work-more-effectively","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/five-tips-to-make-your-memory-work-more-effectively\/","title":{"rendered":"Five tips to make your memory work more effectively"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As a researcher investigating how electric brain stimulation can improve people\u2019s powers of recollection, I\u2019m often asked how memory works \u2013 and what we can do to use it more effectively. Happily, decades of research have given us some clear answers to both questions.<\/p>\n

Memory<\/a>\u00a0essentially operates in three stages, with different\u00a0brain regions contributing to each one<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sensory memory<\/a>, which can last only milliseconds, registers raw information such as sights, sounds and smells. These are first processed by the brain\u2019s five\u00a0primary sensory cortices<\/a>\u00a0(visual cortex for sights, auditory cortex for sounds and so on).<\/p>\n

Working (short-term) memory<\/a>\u00a0holds and manipulates a small amount of information over several seconds or more. Think of this as your brain\u2019s mental workspace: the system that lets you do mental arithmetic, follow instructions and comprehend what you\u2019re reading. So it mainly involves the\u00a0prefrontal cortex<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 the front part of your brain that supports attention, decision-making and reasoning.<\/p>\n

Finally,\u00a0long-term memory<\/a>\u00a0stores information more permanently, from minutes to a lifetime. This includes both \u201cexplicit\u201d memories (facts and life events) and \u201cimplicit\u201d ones (skills, habits and emotional associations).<\/p>\n

For long-term memories, the\u00a0hippocampus<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0temporal lobes<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 located deep within the brain, around the sides of your head near your temples \u2013 contribute largely to memories involving facts or life events, while the\u00a0amygdala<\/a>\u00a0(near the hippocampus),\u00a0cerebellum<\/a>\u00a0(at the back of the brain) and\u00a0basal ganglia<\/a>\u00a0(deep in the brain) process emotional or procedural memories.<\/p>\n

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Anshuman Rath\/Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Working memory often acts as a conscious gateway to long-term memory \u2013 but\u00a0it has its limits<\/a>. In 1956, the American psychologist George Miller proposed that we can only hold\u00a0about seven \u201cchunks\u201d of information<\/a>\u00a0in our working memory at any time.<\/p>\n

While\u00a0the exact number is debated to this day<\/a>, the principle holds: working memory is limited. And that limitation can shape how effectively we learn and remember things.<\/p>\n

But you can also get your memory working more effectively. Here are five easy steps for improving both your working and long-term memory.<\/p>\n

1. Put your phone away<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Smartphones reduce your working memory capacity. Even\u00a0just having a phone nearby<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 no matter if it\u2019s face down and on silent \u2013 can reduce performance on memory and reasoning tasks.<\/p>\n

The reason is that part of your brain is still subtly monitoring it. Even resisting the urge to check notifications consumes mental resources \u2013 which is why\u00a0researchers sometimes call smartphones<\/a>\u00a0a \u201cbrain drain\u201d. The solution is simple: put your phone in another room when you need to focus. Out of sight really does free up mental capacity.<\/p>\n

2. Stop your mind racing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Stress<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0anxiety<\/a>\u00a0can take up valuable\u00a0mental space<\/a>. When you\u2019re worrying about something or are distracted by racing thoughts, part of your working memory is already in use.<\/p>\n

Relaxation training<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0mindfulness practices<\/a>\u00a0can improve both working memory and academic performance, probably by reducing stress levels. And if meditation feels intimidating, try breathing techniques such as\u00a0\u201ccyclic sighing\u201d<\/a>. Inhale deeply through your nose, take a second shorter inhale, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Repeating this for five minutes can calm the nervous system and create better conditions for learning.<\/p>\n

3. Get chunking<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Everyone can expand their working memory using the technique of\u00a0chunking<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 grouping information into meaningful units. In fact, you probably already do it to remember some phone numbers or lists of words \u2013 breaking long sequences into bite-size chunks that your brain can recall as a mini-group.<\/p>\n