Your brain wants and needs to forget very quickly ...

Short-term memory is a working memory because it is its primary function. It holds and manipulates a small amount of information for a brief period. Usually, this is for a few seconds to a minute. 

It serves the vital purpose of holding and manipulating information temporarily. It is an essential function to perform everyday tasks and make decisions.

 

It helps us to focus on and process relevant information while filtering out distractions. It temporarily holds and manipulates information while we listen, watch, speak, navigate in our environment, try to understand, solve a problem, and decide.

For example, when you need to remember for a few seconds two numbers, you need to add or subtract. Then, a few minutes later, you might not remember those numbers.

 

Your brain needs to get rid of information that isn't relevant anymore. Let's take a second example of driving. If you remember every other car you encountered, and if the traffic lights were red or green and every door or commerce you saw, your head will quickly be overloaded with useless information. You would probably have a nervous breakdown ...

Short-term memory's purpose is not to store information for a long time. So if you want to remember something, like a fact or a new skill, you need to transfer it to your long-term memory.

 

You will need to help your brain remember if you want to remember something for a more extended time. The exception to this is something very emotional or strongly impacts your senses, being tactile, taste, visual, or auditive. 

First, it's essential to pay attention to the information you're trying to remember. If you're distracted or not paying attention, your brain will not store it in your long-term memory. Also, try to break down the information into smaller pieces and repeat it to yourself. It will help your short-term memory hold onto the information longer.

 

Repetition, visual aids like diagrams or pictures, taking notes, and memory techniques will help. 

 

There are several techniques to remember better, the three most popular being the LOCI method, the Peg Method, and the Link System.

 

 • In summary, the LOCI METHOD uses your environment at home, school, or one of your favorite destinations as a map to remember a list of things to do, a presentation to deliver, a book, or a document.

 • The Peg Method associates numbers with images of objects that are easy to remember with these numbers. 

 • The Link System pairs successive items.

 

Future posts will explain these techniques, and there are numerous courses to learn them.