| If you need to recall something that you learnt just a | | | | best option to remembering things on a short-term |
| few seconds ago, to maybe 2 minutes ago, you are | | | | basis. |
| using your short term memory. Many factors affect | | | | The effectiveness of mnemonics being used to help |
| your short term memory, also known as working | | | | short term memory has been a controversial issue. |
| memory. Understanding, or being aware of these | | | | However, it is still the best technique to be used when |
| factors can help you dramatically improve your short | | | | trying to recall vast amount of information that has |
| and long term memory. Alternatively, there are also | | | | been pass down in a short space of time. In particular, |
| methods and techniques that will strengthen memory. | | | | a study with young people with learning disability has |
| Factors that affect memory include stress, lack of | | | | proven its effectiveness. |
| sleep, lack of exercise and lack of proper nutrients | | | | To improve short memory, it is essential to know that |
| essential for proper brain functioning. | | | | memory uses mnemonics to set off certain |
| It is important to be able to de-stress if you have a | | | | physiological responses. The mnemonics include |
| stressful job or a stressful family environment. | | | | images, sounds, colors, tastes, smells, touch, language |
| De-stressing techniques include body massages, long | | | | and emotions. Most of them are related to the senses. |
| baths, and hanging out with friends. Intake of | | | | Associating a pleasant, frightening or funny image, color |
| B-complex vitamins, zinc and foliate can often help you | | | | or sound to a certain information helps people to recall |
| cope better with stress. | | | | better. |
| It is important to be able to get enough sleep for | | | | As soon as the mnemonics have been learnt and |
| proper brain function. A good eight hours of sleep is | | | | understood, there are steps to be taken to improve |
| important for short term memory improvement. When | | | | short term memory. When a person decides to |
| stress is preventing you from falling asleep, a hot cup | | | | memorize the things he or she learn, the motivation |
| of chamomile tea or warm milk can sometimes do the | | | | leads to enhancement of the memory. Using existing |
| trick. Exercise also does wonders for short term | | | | information when memorizing new ones is also a way |
| memory. A morning or evening walk or jog often helps | | | | to improve short-term memory. |
| to de-stress a person and helps to bring oxygen to the | | | | The ability, and equally important, the motivation to |
| brain. | | | | teach someone else the new information learnt is one |
| In today's work environment, it is not uncommon to | | | | way of strengthening short term memory. Also, |
| mult-task in a job. Being forced to handle 2 or more | | | | re-arranging and organizing information is a method to |
| tasks at any given moment will invariably force the | | | | improve short term memory. Writing down information, |
| brain to focus on more areas and leads to short term | | | | reading out load, listening and seeing helps to engage |
| memory loss. This again leads to the topic of stress | | | | more than one sense at the same time. In other |
| and its management. Being able to be situationally | | | | words, adding colorful charts, cartoons, diagrams to a |
| aware of the jobs at hand, and staying alert is the | | | | text increases the memorizing speed. |