Forget About It! Tips to conquer forgetfulness

Just about everyone know that feeling of forgetting something.  That unsettling feeling that sinks in as you leave for vacation or just before you leave the office for the day.  Or maybe you never even get the feeling and memory just washes away cleanly.  Either way, you've forgotten something and it's frustrating!  The human brain only has about 7 slots available for short term memory.  Try to cram much more than that and you're bound to lose something.  Since this is the 7th sentence you've probably already forgotten the title of this blog.

To conquer this cognitive limitation your brain must convert short term memories to long term ones. However, it's not always easy. More than ever we're expected to keep up with many different tasks at once; multitasking has become a vital component to just about any job these days. Try some of the following tips to boost your brain power.

1.  Don't multitask if you want to remember! If a long term project slips into your short term to-do list your brain might not convert it to long term memory.
2. Focus! Give your brain time to process the information- try to involve as many senses with an object or event if you really want to remember it. No, you can't smell this blog or taste these tips, but you can trace the words with your hands and say the words out loud.
3. Repeat! Repetition is what solidifies memory. Repeat something three times and it should be stored in your brain; just make sure the repetitions are spaced out a bit rather than cramming.
4. Grouping: The reason we can remember a ten digit phone number is because we group it into three categories so that they each only take up one slot in our short term memory. Try to group information to help yourself remember it. And if you can't group at least organize, the brain remembers things that are organized in a logical way.
5. Rest and relax! Got lots of sleep, turn off your phone and remove yourself from stimulus for a period of time each day. The reason we forget is because our brain is so overloaded with information and never has time to rest during the waking hours. Try to sit up in bed and reflect on the events of that day--not only will you sleep better but you'll retain those memories better.
6. Continue learning! It may seem like silly advice but too many adults have a know-it-all complex. If you think you've already learned everything you need to know your brain won't stay as sharp because it won't be challenged and when it comes time to learn new information you won't be able to do it as well. Take a continuing education class, take guitar lessons, read about art history, teach yourself to do something crafty.
7. Make connections! The more connections you can make in your brain the better you'll be able to retain the information. Try to connect the new information with something stored in your long term memory. If you want to remember a green coat you saw in the store make associations: Is it green like a turtle, does it feel like your favorite blanket, does it smell like wool? 

Since there's only seven tips you should have no problem remembering them, right?