Photographic memory test my nose scrunched as I took a quiz to work out if I even have a photographic memory. The test presents a series of images for 7 seconds and asks you to recall to recall specific details, like “How many lemon slices are within the picture.” I performed at a D+ level with 66 percent accurate recall—and half that’s by virtue of excellent guessing.
I’m not alone, though. A survey earlier this summer showed that of two ,000 participants who took U.K.-based Lenstore’s quiz just one .2 percent got all 10 questions correct. Perhaps that’s because photographic memory is believed to be… not a thing. It’s true. consistent with experts, the closest thing to photographic memory is eidetic imagery, a supposed ability to “see” a picture in one’s mind with vivid detail after viewing it once, but that’s terribly uncommon.
So how does one take clearer mental snapshots? Carla Marie Manly, PhD, psychotherapist and author of Aging Joyfully, shares the way to focus with a couple of tips.
1. Avoid multitasking. That sounds Herculean to be honest because, I know, I know, living during a burnout-based culture means endless demands. How else are you getting to get things done unless you tackle your schedule with octopus arms? As you’d imagine, though, doing 40 things directly will slice your focus. If you’re on a Duolingo kick or something, carve out a while to take a seat and truly learn some damn Italian versus studying while understanding or cooking.
“Memory works best once we stay sharply attuned to whatever task is at hand—be it a conversation, a faculty class, or a gathering ,” says Dr. Manly.
2. work on your level of “optimal frustration.” consistent with Dr. Manly, research shows that allowing yourself a touch (emphasis on “a bit”) of frustration actually improves specialise in memory. If the task at hand feels impossible or easy peasy, memory tends to not stick also . So engage with it at A level that’s stimulating and a touch challenging, allowing enough friction to form you are feeling like you’re actually learning.
3. Strive to be present without anxiety. There’s no cure-all for anxiety. Trust me. I’ve steeped my life in lavender lotion and it only gets you thus far . Still stress and anxiety can definitely cloud things over, so it’s worth trying to manage if it’s, well, manageable. If you’ve got to practice for an enormous presentation and it’s supplying you with those traditional speechmaking jitters, or there’s an excessive amount of background stimulation, PAUSE. Take a hot sec to bring yourself back to earth, specialise in your breathing, and relax.
4. Engage in new tasks. “The brain thrives on new stimulation, and this increases memory performance,” says Dr. Manly. Research backs it up: incorporating newness in your routine whether it’s a replacement language or game strengthens cognitive skills. So extra encouragement to select up a replacement class if you’re performing on longterm memory.
5. Reduce Distractions. If you didn’t get clued in by the entire “don’t multitask” thing, here it’s another time. Paring down your distractions is crucial to retaining information.
“If you would like to stay your memory sharp surely situations like remembering facts or images, strive to scale back distractions,” says Dr. Manly. “Memory is just not as strong if factors intervene during memory consolidation.”
God forbid someone asks your opinion on the new Veronica Mars season and you’re drawing a blank because you texted throughout your binge watch. For shame. Put it on airplane mode.
6. Repetition. Practically a baby’s challenge in terms of complexity, and doubtless the simplest thing you’ll do to drill something in your head.
“If you would like to recollect something, repeat it,” says Dr. Manly. “Whether it’s a word or a picture you would like to recall, still repeat the word or recall the image until it feels cemented in your brain!”
If you would like to recollect someone’s name, just repeat it during the handshake. And if that doesn’t work, well, Matt or Mike is usually a solid guess.
Mushrooms are magical when it involves retaining your memory—here’s the way to eat them. And here’s why sharing memories with friends is such a crucial bonding experience.
