It's a gut-wrenching moment: you need to introduce someone,

but you've completely forgotten their name. Or you're in a big

meeting and it's your turn to speak, but the vital information has
dropped out of your mind.
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. Chances are, we've all experienced
that pit-of-the-stomach feeling when our memory lets us down.

But in a fast-paced, information rich environment, developing a strong

memory is more valuable than ever.

The good news is that there are plenty of tools to help. The ancient Greeks
taught their students systems for recalling key information, and many
memory-boosting techniques have been developed over the centuries since.

In this article, you can learn tried-and-tested mnemonic systems for making
remembering easier, and other principles that you can put to good use
immediately.

What Are Mnemonics?

"Mnemonic" is simply another word for memory tool. Mnemonics are
techniques for re-packaging information, helping your brain to store it safely –
and find it again at the right moment.

Think about some of the mnemonics you've heard over the years. You may
well remember facts, rules or spellings with the help of mnemonics, such as:

"Thirty days hath September, April, June and November… "

"ROY G. BIV" (for the colors of the rainbow)

"Big Elephants Can't Always Understand Small Elephants" (to spell the word
"because")

Mnemonics often use rhymes and rhythms to make hard-to-learn information

stick in our brains. Many of them also rely on images, senses, emotions, and
patterns – which are key features in the wider memory techniques that have
been developed.
Our brains are built to learn like this. No wonder we find it much harder to
remember information presented as black-and-white words on a page!

Tip:
Think of mnemonics as ways to boost what your brain can do anyway. Often, the
information you want is in there "somewhere" – you just need a tool to help you
reach it quickly when it counts.

Creating Rich, Reliable Memories

Exploring the common features of well-used memory techniques will help you
to choose the most effective strategy for you. Let's look at the four key
aspects: images, senses, emotions, and patterns.

Images
Research has shown that our memories are activated more strongly by
images than words.
We're particularly good at recognizing pictures we've seen before. Think about
how many signs, symbols and logos you can identify in a split second. You
can easily start inventing your own images to help you remember.

To remember a task you need to do in the future, you could try creating a vivid
mental image of it actually happening. And when you meet someone new,
spend a few seconds picturing something – anything – that might give you a
visual reminder of their name.

Senses
Your brain can combine multiple senses to create strong memories. Some of
our most powerful recollections are encoded through smells, tastes and touch
sensations, as much as through sights and sounds.

Use as many senses as you can to learn and remember. Don't just picture the
things to buy at the grocery store: imagine smelling, touching and tasting
them, too.
Imagine that you're learning about a new concept at work. You could think
about building a physical model of it. Give your memory several different
sensory routes back to the original information.