Feeling like your memory isn’t what it used to be is a common concern. Learning how to improve your recall can help you remember what you need to know.

Forgetting things you definitely know—your coworker’s last name, where you parked your car at the mall, the author of the last book you read—can be embarrassing. It also can be unnerving if your ability to recall facts, figures, names, and numbers seems to be decreasing.

Fortunately, there are memory tricks and tools you can use to help you remember things that matter, now and throughout your life.

“Memory consists of three main components—encoding, storage, and retrieval—and each of them is required to generate a memory,” according to Douglas J. Mason, Psy.D., author of The Memory Doctor. “But the way you encode or input information plays a major role in your ability to recall it.”

In other words, “paying close attention when an event is occurring, or when you are learning new information, is key to locking the memory in place so you can find it later,” he explains.

Practicing these memory tools can help you preserve and improve your memory.

• Limit distractions. When you are distracted, it makes learning new material or information more difficult. Although you may believe you can multitask with ease, it’s much easier to pay attention if you are in a quiet environment free from interruptions or intrusions.
• Try PQ3RST. This tool—which stands for Preview, Question, Read, Rehearse, Review, Summarize, and Test—is very effective for organizing and remembering data you read, watch, or hear.

  The idea is to familiarize yourself (Preview) with the subject. Ask yourself (Question) what information may be relevant in the material. Then Read, Rehearse, and Review the information. Finally, Summarize the important elements of the material, then Test your recall.

• Get WETT. This acronym stands for Write it down. Eliminate distractions. Take breaks, and Timing.

  To use it effectively:

  • Make notes for yourself and place them where you’ll see them.
  • Don’t try to do two things at once if you need to remember something.
  • Take a break before trying to learn something important.
  • Don’t try to memorize or remember something when you know you will be distracted.

  “Mental and physical fatigue impair memory,” Mason explains, “so if you need to remember something important—like sales figures for an upcoming meeting—take a break to recharge before you look at them.”

• Use different memory systems to encode information. This involves inputting information into your mind in diverse ways.

  For example, if you want to remember to buy peanuts at the store, say the word peanuts aloud, then picture yourself reaching for a bag of peanuts from the grocery store shelf. Finally, imagine yourself cracking open the peanut shell and popping the peanuts into your mouth.

• Check your meds. Some commonly prescribed medications, such as certain antidepressants, antibiotics, heart medications, and allergy medications, can impair memory.

  “Ask your doctor or pharmacist to check your meds for memory impairment as a side effect,” Mason says.

• Relax. Research indicates anxiety impairs memory, so when you are trying to learn or remember something, you will be more successful if you can do so when you are relaxed.

  “When anxiety flips on the ‘fight or flight’ mechanism, the higher-level neurological functions actually shut down to a degree, and this includes memory,” says Mason.

Barbara Floria spoke with Douglas J. Mason, Psy.D., author of The Memory Doctor, New Harbinger, 2005, $11.95.

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