Jotting a memory jogger in the air!

You know how there are often lists of suggestions published from “studies” about different aspects of life?  Well, last week I saw one that particularly interested me because it was about ways that have been discovered to improve memory — something I don’t seem to have much of any more.

And one of the suggestions in the list that particularly struck me was one that made a connection between writing something down, i.e., the act of actually writing something, and your ability to remember it.  The point was made that if you hear the information and also write it, you are using two different parts of your brain to help you remember it.

It gave the example of a child solving a math problem by “writing” it with their finger in the air.

It said that, for instance, if you want to remember the name of a person you’ve just met, if paper and pen are available, writing the name down will help you remember it.  But, if they aren’t available, just writing it with a finger in the palm of your hand will also help.

This all made sense to me, so I have tried it a couple times and I think it actually did help.  Yesterday at golf, a friend returned a book I had loaned her and we talked about another I have that she would like to read.  Now, all I have to do is remember to take it to golf to give to her.

So I, to her great amusement, wrote in the air (as I said it aloud) “Book for Marilyn”.  And, I bet I have thought about taking that book to Marilyn next week a half dozen times in the approximately 24 hours since we talked about it.  Now THAT is an improvement!

So, I’m going to remember this little tip and see if it won’t help my woefully poor memory.