Scientific interrogation is terrific . The mystery of the brain and retention ’s elaboration are endlessly captivating . However , most mean solar day , it feels like a victory to remember when you last showered , and if that mean you could sleep an extra 10 moment .

That ’s whythis newfangled studyis of special interest . The research say that follow - through on daily tasks may be improved by link up those tasks to physical objects that will be encountered at the right time to spur natural process .

The research showed that own a visual pool stick in a place where the to - do particular can be reenact causes a higher pace of reminiscence and execution than instances of the task being executed in the absence of a visual cue . TL;DR : leave a post - it by the garbage , and you ’ll remember to take out the drivel .

improve memory

Shutterstock

The subject area tested this theory a number of ways , including having a group take a digital survey where they were told if they grab a paperclip from a bin on their way out that $ 1 would be donated to Jacob’s ladder . Half of that chemical group saw a message that say there would be an elephant statue near the threshold to cue them to fall out through . 72 % of the the great unwashed who were given the elephant statue substance remembered to lodge their paperclip , while just 42 % of the ascendance radical remember .

This is expectant news , because now the nutrient wrappers littering desks in offices everywhere have an alibi for never making it to the trash : They ’re memory objects , and must never been thrown away .

Here are three other memory board hacks that will check that you never forget to mail another Mother ’s Day visiting card .

The Palace Technique

This is the technique used by memory championDominic O’Brien(who once memorized 54 decks of carte in sequence , having seen each card just once ) and Hannibal Lector ( in the book , not the movie ) . With it , you take a place you know well – a puerility home , the drive to employment – and colligate the things that need remembering with the object in the " memory palace . “Litemindhas an in - depth crack-up of using the technique .

Naps

Pretty straightforward . Take a cat sleep . Research published inNature Neurosciencesuggests that a daytime nap breaks down the brain ’s resistance to learning young fabric by repress interference . The field of study said 90 second is the mellifluous spot , but any amount of rest can help you approach material with a more receptive thinker .

Name Maps

Next time you ’re in a meeting , essay draw a crude mapping of the room . lie in out the table and note where each soul is sit around , and maybe a gadget characteristic that will help you retrieve them . Dustin / Glasses , Gideon / Loves Star Wars , etc . This can aid with name recollection . To take it a step further , you could number everyone and use that in note to both avail with tachygraphy and to create a visual to go with the promissory note that can also improve recollection . It also force you to write down names , andresearch has shownthat writing thing down improve remembrance . Lifehackerhas more on what name maps looks like .

There are gads more technique out there , but the new research is fascinating , in part , because the experimentation itself allow a practical proficiency worth trying that , in many way , echoes the association prompt that are seen in other techniques .

Now , you just require a pool stick to remember the techniques to improve your storage .