How To... Improve Your Memory

With technology reminding us about everything from birthdays, meetings, appointments, to the grocery list, it’s easy to feel like we rely less on our own memory. Here’s what you can do to give it a boost

- Nolwazi Dhlamini

Wouldn’t it be awesome to have the same eidetic memory that the character Mike Ross from Suits has? When it comes to keeping your memory sharp, it’s not only genes that play a role; personal choices count too.

The digitisation of almost everything has made humans so dependent on technology that many of us don’t make a point to remember phone numbers or directions off-by-heart, and instead, rely on smartphones and GPS. Slowly but surely, this can influence how well our brains function.

Good vs bad memory

What causes some people to have a ‘bad memory’, while others stay sharp as a tack? Popular to contrary belief, memory expert and mentalist Michael Abrahamson doesn’t believe there are people with bad memories, and that we all can have exceptional memory. ‘There’s a major misconception about it; nobody has a bad memory. We all have the ability to recall and remember things. The difference is that some people have a trained memory while others have an untrained memory,’ Michael reassures.

Unlocking your trained memory

It’s possible to become good at memorising, even if you’ve always had below-average memory. It’s also not true that some people are bad at remembering, it’s only that others have developed the right set of skills to make their brains work more effectively for them. That’s why it’s important to distinguish between humans having the natural ability of recollection, albeit to varying degrees, and being able to develop the skill of memorising information very well. Even though natural memory is largely dependent on your genes and lifestyle, your trained memory can be improved to levels it’s never reached before.

How to really train your brain