These 8 handy hacks will turn your brain into a memory machine

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By VT

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As someone who forgets where they've put their wallet approximately 1,256 times a day, I've been crying out for some good, solid memory hacks for a long, long time.

But really, we're all looking for an edge in our lives, aren't we? Something that makes our day-to-day that little bit easier, while making us look just a little bit impressive at the same time.

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Powers of the mind have been well documented in popular culture in everything from superhero movies to at 221B Baker Street and everyone's favourite consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes boasts of his "mind palace", a technique by which he is able to remember almost anything he needs to. While this might seem firmly rooted in the fanciful world of fiction, there are actually a considerable number of methods you can use to train your brain to memorise things more quickly and effectively. That's why we've teamed up with the wonderful people at Peak (Selena Gomez's favourite brain training app) to bring you all the tips, tricks, hacks and shortcuts you need to become the master of memory you've always dreamed of being.

1. Visualise your purpose

This might sound complex, but really it just means visualising what you want to do before you walk into a room. This will increase your chances of remembering your purpose when you're confronted with a new environment.

2. Play more video games 

Or more specifically, play more 3D video games. For example, one study showed that playing Super Mario 64 for a duration of 30 minutes a day over a two month period increased participants' "brain volume in their right hippocampus, the right prefrontal cortex, and the cerebellum". So there's that.

3. Master 'memory spots'

Again, while this might sound tricky, it's actually just a case of conjuring an image of a physical place you are extremely familiar with and mentally place the thing you need to remember in that picture.

4. Use the power of music

Ever thought about why you never forget the lyrics to your favourite songs? Music is said to help us memorise things through "alliteration and rhythm". This structure is beneficial to our ability to unlock information stored in the brain, while music acts as the cue.

5. The mind palace 

Let's be honest; this is the one everyone wants to know. Essentially, decide what your 'palace' is going to be - for example your house. If you want to remember something like your food shopping order, you could visualise different food items popping up at specific points in your house.

6. Assign extremely vivid mental pictures to your memories 

Basically, the more out-there and vivid the mental picture, the more likely you are to remember something. Simple, but effective.

7. Rhyme your way to a better memory 

In a similar sense to music, rhymes are a potent memory device. We all remember rhymes and limericks from childhood, so try creating a rhyme for other things in your life you need to remember.

8. Keep practising

As with anything worth knowing or doing well, you'll need to practise these techniques to become a true master of memory. Enjoy it, and impress everyone around you with your new found memory.

If you want to challenge your brain and memory, then why not download the Peak brain training app, to complement your new found memory techniques. Peak challenges you with short, intense workouts designed to fit around your busy lifestyle.

Go forth and remember, my friends.

These 8 handy hacks will turn your brain into a memory machine

vt-author-image

By VT

Article saved!Article saved!

As someone who forgets where they've put their wallet approximately 1,256 times a day, I've been crying out for some good, solid memory hacks for a long, long time.

But really, we're all looking for an edge in our lives, aren't we? Something that makes our day-to-day that little bit easier, while making us look just a little bit impressive at the same time.

[[facebookwidget||https://www.facebook.com/JungleVT/posts/1900758903552528/]]

Powers of the mind have been well documented in popular culture in everything from superhero movies to at 221B Baker Street and everyone's favourite consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes boasts of his "mind palace", a technique by which he is able to remember almost anything he needs to. While this might seem firmly rooted in the fanciful world of fiction, there are actually a considerable number of methods you can use to train your brain to memorise things more quickly and effectively. That's why we've teamed up with the wonderful people at Peak (Selena Gomez's favourite brain training app) to bring you all the tips, tricks, hacks and shortcuts you need to become the master of memory you've always dreamed of being.

1. Visualise your purpose

This might sound complex, but really it just means visualising what you want to do before you walk into a room. This will increase your chances of remembering your purpose when you're confronted with a new environment.

2. Play more video games 

Or more specifically, play more 3D video games. For example, one study showed that playing Super Mario 64 for a duration of 30 minutes a day over a two month period increased participants' "brain volume in their right hippocampus, the right prefrontal cortex, and the cerebellum". So there's that.

3. Master 'memory spots'

Again, while this might sound tricky, it's actually just a case of conjuring an image of a physical place you are extremely familiar with and mentally place the thing you need to remember in that picture.

4. Use the power of music

Ever thought about why you never forget the lyrics to your favourite songs? Music is said to help us memorise things through "alliteration and rhythm". This structure is beneficial to our ability to unlock information stored in the brain, while music acts as the cue.

5. The mind palace 

Let's be honest; this is the one everyone wants to know. Essentially, decide what your 'palace' is going to be - for example your house. If you want to remember something like your food shopping order, you could visualise different food items popping up at specific points in your house.

6. Assign extremely vivid mental pictures to your memories 

Basically, the more out-there and vivid the mental picture, the more likely you are to remember something. Simple, but effective.

7. Rhyme your way to a better memory 

In a similar sense to music, rhymes are a potent memory device. We all remember rhymes and limericks from childhood, so try creating a rhyme for other things in your life you need to remember.

8. Keep practising

As with anything worth knowing or doing well, you'll need to practise these techniques to become a true master of memory. Enjoy it, and impress everyone around you with your new found memory.

If you want to challenge your brain and memory, then why not download the Peak brain training app, to complement your new found memory techniques. Peak challenges you with short, intense workouts designed to fit around your busy lifestyle.

Go forth and remember, my friends.