I’ve repeatedly introduced myself to the same neighbors, yet their names keep evading me. However, the names of their dogs, Charlotte, Artoo, and Shea, are vivid in my memory, along with the affection they receive (and, it seems, my undivided attention). Yet, I’m not the only one who struggles with names—or who fears that my forgetfulness of facts might signal the onset of early dementia (and not just a flub at trivia night).
Luckily, memory glitches are common—and there are straightforward methods to enhance your brainpower, whether you’re seeking to curb the habit of misplacing your keys—or trying to commit a plethora of information to memory for work or leisure (or, indeed, trivia night). Test out these clever memory-improving techniques—and some lifestyle adjustments that are beneficial in any case—to help you become the brainiac you’ve always believed you could be.
Shae Datta, MD, board-certified neurologist at NYU Langone; Lisa Genova, PhD, neuroscientist and author of “Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting”
There’s a reason you struggle to recall the details of your breakfast last Tuesday or precisely what your neighbor wore yesterday. “Our brains excel at retaining things that are significant, surprising, or novel—or things we repeat and practice,” explains Lisa Genova, PhD, neuroscientist and author of “Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting.” “Our brains tend to forget the mundane, repetitive routines. So we might not remember last week’s lunch unless it was a special occasion like a birthday.”
If there’s something crucial you wish to remember, find a way to make it memorable.
The primary reason you can’t recall where you parked your car—or why you can’t remember the names of the dog owners you meet—is that your attention is elsewhere (like that adorable furry friend eager for a pat). “Attention is key—you can’t form a memory if you don’t pay attention to where you put your phone, or someone’s name,” Genova points out. “Our brains aren’t designed to remember everything we see; we don’t retain every sensory input.”
So, the next time you meet someone new or park in a garage, take a moment to mentally note the details and give your brain a chance to process what’s happening.
If you have a strong emotional reaction to something—positive or negative—you’re more likely to remember it vividly. That’s why I can never forget a dog’s name but tend to blank on the pet parents. “Dogs are adorable and evoke emotions,” Genova notes. Whether it’s their cuteness or the reminder they bring of another pet I’ve encountered, the pooches are memorable to me.
You don’t need to be captivated by your neighbors to remember their names. You might be able to infuse them with emotion by linking their name to a fact that resonates with you, such as the fact that you admire their garden.
To truly retain information, you need to engage as many senses as possible. “Use your imagination, visualize, or associate it with something vivid,” Genova advises. So, when you meet a client with the surname Baker, you might think of her rolling out dough or the scent of cinnamon rolls. You could even draw a picture or jot it down to aid your memory.
For remembering where you placed your keys, simply say it aloud to yourself: “I’m placing my keys on the counter”—a method Genova employs often. “Speaking gives my brain a moment to process the information and consider the keys.”
If you’re constantly losing your keys, Genova suggests either using the aforementioned technique of saying it aloud to yourself or establishing a consistent spot for your keys and placing them there each time.
You might still recall the order of the planets or the notes in a musical scale due to mnemonics like the phrase “My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos” or “Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge.” “Mnemonics such as songs or acronyms, along with other memory tricks, can group information to enhance recall and retention,” says Shae Datta, a board-certified neurologist at NYU Langone.
One reason you might find it easier to remember the word “baker” than someone’s surname “Baker” is that you use the information more frequently, and it has more neural pathways associated with it, Genova explains. “Our brains aren’t designed to remember proper nouns well, like book titles or movie titles. That’s why your friend can suggest a TV show, and you can’t recall its name later.”
Proper nouns are akin to dead-end streets in the brain, Genova says. “There’s only one route to the address of a word, unlike common nouns, which are on main streets with numerous pathways. You need to redirect the name from the dead-end to a main street by connecting it to other non-common nouns.”
Creating multiple pathways to a key piece of information can also safeguard against the worst symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other memory issues. “If you only have one path to a person’s name and Alzheimer’s blocks it, that’s it,” Genova states. “But if I build 100 neural roads as I learn more about the person, even if Alzheimer’s blocks ten, there are still ninety other ways to reach it.”
Practice makes perfect. And revisiting key facts repeatedly—as anyone who’s used flashcards for exam prep knows—can be a great way to retain them, Datta says. “Memory techniques that work include spaced repetition and self-testing by recalling that fact multiple times a day.”
Breaking down large amounts of information into smaller segments can help turn the daunting task of memorizing a lengthy talk into something achievable, Genova notes.
Your brain thrives on new experiences, so picking up a new hobby can give your brain a boost. “Learning new things strengthens neural pathways, expanding your brain,” Genova says.
Your mental and physical health are intertwined, and maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle can enhance brain health and sharpen your memory. “Improving memory is like exercising a well-trained muscle, the brain,” Datta remarks. “We require rest, nutrition, and exercise for proper blood flow to the brain. Poor sleep, stress, nutritional deficiencies, certain medications, and metabolic diseases can impact memory.”
Chronic stress can diminish your brainpower and potentially lead to the dreaded brain fog.
That’s because chronic stress disrupts the body’s ability to produce adrenaline and cortisol, which aid in managing the fight, flight, or freeze response during stress, leaving you stuck with adrenaline, which impairs your ability to think clearly, Genova explains. “Your body doesn’t want you to pause and weigh the pros and cons in a stressful situation; it just wants a reaction. If you have chronic stress, you’ll have trouble thinking clearly.”
Techniques like yoga and meditation can help restore mental health and build resilience in the face of stress-inducing situations, whether financial concerns or a perpetual traffic jam. “Meditation trains our bodies to be less reactive, so we don’t continually flood our brains with adrenaline,” Genova notes. “It halts the out-of-control response—we can intercept ourselves when we’re thinking about stressful things.”
Sleep is a crucial component of good health, and getting seven to nine hours each night can enhance your memory and reduce stress, as it allows your brain time to preserve memories and clear away debris that could lead to Alzheimer’s in the future. It also makes it easier to focus the following day. “If you don’t get a good night’s sleep, your prefrontal cortex is sluggish, and you can’t pay attention well, and you won’t be able to form new memories,” Genova says.
As with the adage “you are what you eat,” eating healthily can boost your brain function. “Recent research has shown that the MIND diet—a subset of the Mediterranean diet—can help improve memory and cognition,” Datta says. The MIND diet is a plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts, and low in processed foods and sugary drinks.
Exercise benefits the mind as much as it benefits the body. “If you’re inactive, you have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s and higher stress levels,” Genova notes. “Daily exercise also improves sleep and the quality of sleep.”
I realize I’m not alone in panicking when my brain fails to produce the right information at the moment, leaving me to say something like, “You know, the lead actor from The Bear,” instead of Jeremy Allen White. But Genova reassures me not to worry. “Common forgetfulness, like forgetting where you put your phone or that you need to pick up your dry cleaning, is normal. If you can’t recall how you got to a place or the make of your car, that’s not a concern.”
So, don’t fret over those occasional memory lapses (remember, stress can actually worsen them!) and don’t hesitate to use checklists or aids to help you manage your daily forgetfulness. Perhaps, just perhaps, we’ll all do better at remembering our neighbors’ names.
