lifestyle

1USE YOUR IMAGINATION

Memory isnt an old-fashioned filing system where you learn things in a list, says Tony Buzan, author of The Memory Book. Its a playground for your imagination. When you think of anything for example, a banana a picture pops into your head. Thinking of your memory as a picture library is the solution to those where did I leave my keys? moments; instead of putting things down without looking, help your brain remember where they are by registering it for a microsecond. Even better, put things in the same place as a matter of habit your memory massively improves and life will be less stressful, says Buzan.

3CHOOSE RELATED WORDS 6NOTICE THE LITTLE THINGS

Use specific passwords for different things, says Ali. If you go on Amazon to buy electrical goods, use something associated with that. My association with Amazon is books, so Id imagine a book being thrown at me and come up with a password from that.

4PAINT BY NUMBERS

Pay proper attention to faces and youll be more likely to retain peoples names, says Ali. He suggests studying someones features when you meet them, then linking their name to a prominent feature. Lets say you meet a Tim and he has really funky hair. You could associate that with Tim Tams and think, Tims hair is so tasty, I could eat it.

5MAKE NOTES IN COLOUR

If youre studying for a test or preparing a presentation, break out the Textas. The way were taught note-taking is boring, says Buzan. We use one colour, which is monotonous to the brain. If you add different colours and images, it lets you think more creatively and intelligently, and boosts your recollection.

BOOST YOUR

HOW TO

Theres no excuse for forgetting passwords or the name of whats -his-face from next door with our expert tips for total recall

memory

Photography: Adrian Cook

2TELL A STORY

Be creative with your memory by making up stories. If your online banking password is hello1, come up with a story to remember it, says Australian Memory Champion Tansel Ali. Imagine a hand coming out of the screen waving hello; then youre first in the queue, so thats 1. Next time you log on to your account, that image of a hand reaching out will prompt you to remember the password.

For help remembering phone or PIN numbers, use the number-shape technique, advises Ali. Think of what the numbers zero to nine look like 2 might be a snake or 6 a tadpole then make up a scenario about that combination of numbers. If you have to remember 9351, you could make up a story where 9 is a basketball hoop, 3 is a bird flying through it, 5 is a hook it gets caught on and 1 is a pen you write about it with.

7EMBELLISH A LITTLE

The more out-there the story, the better. If you met a Jane, you could picture her waiting for Tarzan, says Ali. This works because your brain questions stories that dont make sense, and it loves drama.

Using mental imagery may be difficult when youre meeting a large group of people. Ask to be introduced to two or three people to begin with, then move on to the rest, advises Buzan. If its a hard name, have them repeat it and ask for the spelling or history of the name. Then you get more information to remember it by and the repetition strengthens the memory.  BY EMMA ANDERSON

8SLOW DOWN AND REPEAT