Are you forgetful? 5 tips to remember the things that matter
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Editor's note: The podcast Chasing Life With Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the medical science behind some of life's mysteries big and small. You can listen to episodes here.
(CNN) — Most of us are familiar with the frustration of forgetting — whether it's struggling with a word on the tip of the tongue, misplacing important items such as keys or glasses, or even disremembering why you came into a room.
How can we do anything but forget — especially in a time in which we are subjected to a firehose of information every waking minute, between our life in the physical world and what comes at us electronically via smartphones, TVs, computers and more?
The average American is exposed to an estimated 34 gigabytes — or 11.8 hours' worth — of information every day, Dr. Charan Ranganath wrote in his most recent book, 'Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold on to What Matters.' That figure came from a 2009 report by the Global Information Industry Center at the University of California, San Diego.
'Last time I looked it up, the estimate increased even more since,' Ranganath told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently on his podcast Chasing Life. Ranganath directs the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California, Davis, where he is also a professor of psychology and neuroscience.
Far from remembering all this information, he said the science of memory shows that humans are designed to forget. In fact, Ranganath's book references the work of cognitive psychologist George Miller, who concluded in a 1956 paper that we can only keep seven items (plus or minus two) in mind at a time. (Subsequent research, Ranganath wrote, shows the number to be closer to three or four items.)
'I think one of the misconceptions out there … is that we're supposed to be taking everything in that's around us,' he said. 'In fact, our brains really operate on this principle of economy: to get as little information in as possible and to make as much of that information.'
You can learn more about the nature of memory by listening to the podcast's full episode here.
'It's all about this economy and being able to use attention as this big filter, to be able to focus on the things that are most important,' he said.
'Sometimes it's the things that you expect, and sometimes it's the stuff that violates your expectations — and that's where there's the most meaning,' he said. 'But it also means that we miss things sometimes, and we end up with frustration because our attention was directed at the wrong place at the wrong time.'
Improving memory isn't about trying to stuff more information inside your head. 'The thing that I like to say is: Don't try to remember more, remember better,' Ranganath said. 'Sometimes remembering better means memorizing less.'
One way to do so, Ranganath said, is with a process called chunking — or grouping many things into one. We remember the alphabet this way as well as our Social Security number and the names of the Great Lakes (the acronym HOMES for Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior). By grouping these items, you reduce the number of things you have to remember: Instead of 26 separate items, the alphabet becomes one.
Similarly, memory athletes — who compete to memorize as many digits of pi as possible or the order of a deck of cards — 'develop strategies that allow them to meaningfully slot the information that they're trying to remember into this larger structure so that 10 things can become one thing,' Ranganath said.
What can you do if you struggle with forgetfulness? Here are Ranganath's five tricks to help form memories for events that matter. All you have to is remember to 'call a MEDIC!' he said via email.
Attach what you want to remember to something of importance.
'You can remember information like names if you can tie them into information that has meaning to you,' he said.
For instance, if you are a fan of Greek mythology, you can link Ranganath's first name, Charan, to Charon, the ferryman of the underworld who, for a price, transports the souls of the dead across the River Styx.
'And (you can) imagine me ferrying people across the river of the dead,' he said.
Such vivid imagery can help you remember a name.
Test yourself. Even if you make a mistake, Ranganath said trial and error is one of the best ways to remember something.
'If you're learning a new name or foreign language word, take a guess about what the name could be or guess about the meaning of the word,' he said.
When you learn the answer, he said, the brain can 'tweak that memory to make sure it is more closely associated with the right answer and less likely to be associated with competing answers.'
Make it pop.
'Just as it's easier to find a hot pink Post-it note on a desk full of yellow notes, it's easier to find memories that have features (that) stand out from other memories,' Ranganath said.
For example, 'When you put down your keys, take a moment to attend to a detail like a sound or a unique visual cue,' he said.
It will go a long way toward helping you remember where you put them, he said, as you're frantically scrambling to get out the door.
Take advantage of the fact that the brain has adapted to flag moments that are significant.
'We retain memories for events that are important — in a biological sense,' Ranganath said. 'When we have experiences that are rewarding, scary or embarrassing, chemicals like dopamine, noradrenaline or serotonin are released, promoting plasticity.' These neurotransmitters help cement the experience in your memory a bit more.
Curiosity can also play a role.
'We have found that being curious has a similar effect on memory,' he said, noting that curiosity activates 'dopamine-carrying areas of the brain' and promotes learning.
'So, before you learn, get curious about the subject!' he said.
Use your senses to do a little time traveling.
'Our memories for events, or episodic memories, are tied to where and when the event took place,' Ranganath said. 'That's why hearing a song that played during your summer abroad in college or smelling food that your grandmother used to make can immediately transport you back in time.'
'If you are trying to recall a past event, imagine yourself in that place and time — how you felt, what you were thinking about, the sights and sounds of the place — and you'll find yourself pulling up a lot,' he said.
We hope these five tips help you remember more and memorize less. Listen to the full episode here. And join us next Tuesday for a new episode of the Chasing Life.
CNN Audio's Sofía Sanchez contributed to this report.
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