7 Effective Strategies to Boost Your Working Memory
Do you have trouble remembering things? Working memory is a crucial cognitive function that allows us to temporarily store and manipulate information needed to perform various tasks throughout the day. Whether you’re studying for exams, managing complex projects at work, or simply trying to remember a colleague’s name, a strong working memory can significantly enhance your productivity and overall cognitive abilities.
For adults with ADHD not being able to remember your intentions is what can sometimes get in the way of following through.
Short term (working) memory is often weak in adults with ADHD. You may not hold information long enough to follow through on it. You think to yourself, “I need to drop that folder off at Rick’s office before I leave.” Then you turn around to get your jacket, pack up and forget all about the folder. All within the span of a few minutes!
Working memory is the “temporary storage system” in the brain that holds several facts or thoughts while solving a problem or performing a task. Working memory helps people hold information long enough to use it in the short term, focus on a task, and remember what to do next.
Difficulty recalling, focusing, organization, and distinguishing between important and unimportant cues. Distract easily, become forgetful, and have difficulty getting started on tasks. Lengthy, multiple step directions are often frustrating and impossible to follow.
Because you do not hold on to information long enough it also does not enter your long-term memory. So, it’s lost to you until someone says, “Hey Cindy, I didn’t get that e-mail you said you would send when I saw you in the hall yesterday.”
But research has shown that working memory can be strengthened. In this blog post, we’ll explore seven effective strategies to improve your working memory and enhance your mental sharpness.
1. Stay Mentally Active
Just like physical exercise keeps your body in shape, engaging in mentally stimulating activities can help improve your working memory. Read challenging books, solve puzzles, play brain games, and engage in activities that require your brain to process and retain new information. Regularly exposing your mind to novel and complex tasks can help build cognitive resilience and improve working memory over time.
Try online brain activities such as The Memory Gym which provides challenges with flashing numbers, spoken numbers, counting dots, and flashing words. Or Brain Teasers from SharpBrains.com
2. Get Enough Quality Sleep
Adequate and quality sleep is essential for memory consolidation and overall brain health. During sleep, the brain processes and stores the information you encountered throughout the day, strengthening the neural connections associated with memory. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night and establish a consistent sleep schedule to optimize cognitive performance.
3. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness and meditation practices have been shown to have a positive impact on working memory. Regular mindfulness exercises help reduce stress and anxiety, which can otherwise impair cognitive functions. Meditation also trains your brain to sustain focus and control distractions, enhancing your ability to retain and manipulate information.
4. Chunk Information
Working memory has a limited capacity, so it’s essential to optimize how you store information. One effective technique is chunking, which involves breaking down large amounts of information into smaller, manageable chunks. By grouping related items together, you reduce the cognitive load, making it easier for your brain to process and recall the data.
5. Utilize Mnemonic Devices
Mnemonic devices are memory aids that use associations or patterns to help you remember information more effectively. Common examples include acronyms, rhymes, and visualization techniques. By connecting new information to existing knowledge or creating vivid mental images, you can enhance your ability to retain and retrieve data.
6. Stay Organized
A cluttered environment can lead to mental clutter and make it difficult to retain information. Maintain an organized workspace and digital folders to reduce distractions and make it easier for your brain to focus on the task at hand. Develop to-do lists and use digital or physical reminders to help you stay on top of your responsibilities.
7. Regular Physical Exercise
Physical exercise doesn’t just benefit your body; it also has a positive impact on your brain. Regular aerobic exercise has been linked to improved cognitive functions, including working memory. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, promotes the release of neurotransmitters that support memory, and fosters the growth of new neurons.
We can also have trouble with long-term memory – This can mean that you have difficulty remembering your intention to do something in the future. So, as you are leaving the office you have this nagging feeling you are supposed to do something before going home. Then as soon as you get home you remember you were supposed to pick up your subscriptions!
Also, you may have difficulty recalling information when you need it. You go to the meeting and can’t remember all the details of the report you want to share.
Here are some additional workarounds to help you remember what you need and minimize your frustration:
Paper-based Task Managers – Some examples are The Planner Pad and the Bullet Journal
Electronic Task Managers – Some examples are Remember the Milk, Todoist, Omnifocus, Nozbe, Toodledo, and Trello Board
Put it where you can do something about it – If you have clothes to donate, for example, put them in the car.
Just do it! – If a task is going to take you less than 2 minutes (literally), it may be worth it to just do it rather than trying to figure out how you are going to remember to do it later. But don’t let it take you away from your primary intention in the moment.
Put it in your calendar – Even if something is just tentative, put it in your planner. That way you will not end up double-booking something.
Post-it where you can see it – I love stickie notes! Post daily affirmations, goals, list, quotes, or go all out and create a vision board.
Tie it to another habit – Something will be easier to remember if you tie it to an already well-established habit. I have my morning medicine right by my toothbrush so that I never forget it.
A plain piece of white paper – Write down the 3-5 tasks you are committed to doing each day and put it where you will see it. Use plain white paper and clear off everything else around it.
Weekly review – To offset the pull of immediate gratification, do a weekly review. The weekly review is the time when you assess where you are on your projects and goals and plan next action steps. Sunday nights are a good time to do this to prepare for the week.
Post a list – When we run out of something we immediately add it to a grocery list which we keep on the counter right by the coffee maker. Then when I go to make my grocery list, I do not have to remember those things to add.
Read it later! – As you already know, the internet can be a complete time suck. You may find yourself wanting to read something immediately because you are worried you won’t remember to read it later. Try using an application like Instapaper or Pocket to save articles you come across for later. Then you can refocus on your original intention.
Electronic notebook – OneNote or EverNote are great electronic notebooks that help you keep track of and remember all of your random ideas from project planning to lists.
Send yourself a message – When you are out and something suddenly comes to mind, rather than assume you will remember it later, call, text, or e-mail yourself a message. But don’t wait. Those ideas can be fleeting!
Set an alarm – Use an alarm to remind yourself of appointments. Since transitions can be a challenge to your brain, you may want to set two alarms. The first one will remind you to stop what you are doing and get ready. When the second one goes off it is time to go!
Now, only do this if you are committed to doing a thing at a fixed time. Because if the reminder goes off when you can’t stop and do anything about it, you will learn to ignore those alarms. They will then just become background noise.
Wake up and reminder service – You may ignore an alarm, but it is hard to ignore your phone ringing. Telephone reminder services like Wakeupland can get you out of bed or to your appointments on time.
Tracking Habits– Track your progress with habits you are trying to build. You can find all sorts of Habit Trackers online. There are also apps such as Beeminder you might want to try.
Meeting Notes – Take notes during meetings. Then set up a time to review and act on those notes later.
Have a Launch pad – Have a spot by the door where you place things you will need as you leave such as your keys, glasses, and gym bag.
Put Keys in refrigerator – My husband was bad about forgetting to bring the wonderful lunch I had packed for him. So we came up a morning checklist. Another trick for remembering your lunch: put your keys on top of your lunch in the refrigerator. You won’t get far without your keys.
Hire an ADHD Coach – If you have ADHD and want someone to help you set up systems and create habits that will help you remember things, consider hiring an ADHD Coach.
Conclusion:
Enhancing your working memory is a gradual process that requires patience and consistent effort. By incorporating these strategies into your daily routine, you can strengthen your cognitive abilities, boost productivity, and improve your overall quality of life.
Remember that each person’s cognitive abilities are unique, so experiment with these techniques to find what works best for you. With dedication and practice, you can unlock the full potential of your working memory and experience the benefits in various aspects of your personal and professional life.
Cindy Baker, ADHD and Productivity Coach, works with entrepreneurs and other professionals to help them leverage ADHD as their superpower to be come positive, prepared, and productive.