Total recall: Here’s how to fake a perfect memory
Here are some memory hacks: use the SUAVE technique, say tasks out loud, use reminder apps, use a Mind Palace to remember information and much more
Names, places, birthdates, annual payments, usernames, passwords, core memories, that new restaurant someone was talking about the other day. Everyone’s struggling to hold on to it all. In 2017, 18-year-old Munkhshur Narmandakh (@315sh9) from Mongolia proved that memory is just practice and strategy. That year, she became the youngest ever World Memory Champion, recalling the order of 1,924 playing cards. No one gives a Jack about Spades. But here are some of our favourite hacks to get the important stuff to stick.
Use your words. Chill. Everyone forgets names. Use the corny-but-useful SUAVE technique to remember. S, for Say it. Open the conversation using their name before your own. “Hi Jasmine, I’m Dev”. U for Use it. Work the name a couple of times into the conversation. A for Ask about it. “How do you spell it?” “What does it mean?”. V for Visualise it. Pics stick in the brain better than sounds. Visualise clearly, a jasmine blooming over Jasmine’s head, and it will become a handy shortcut. E for End with it. Say goodbye using their name. If you sign off to a room full of strangers, each by name, guess who they’ll never forget, you!
Pass the password test. Pets names and anniversaries make for weak passwords. Instead, pick two unrelated words (with a mix of capital letters, a number and symbol) as the base. Add an abbreviation that changes depending on the account. So, HallBus001*_GM for Gmail, HallBus001*_AJ for Ajio, HallBus001*_NE for Netflix, and so on. Now, there’s less to remember. And if one password expires, simply switch up the number, HallBus002*_GM, and you’re free to live your life again.
Make the contacts connect. Four Alis in the Contacts list. Which is the one from college, which one is your BFFs ex, which one still hasn’t paid you back from that night at Social, which one should not be disturbed because his dad is ill? Add keywords every time a new name is added to your contacts. Ali Jasmine Ex is easier to find or avoid. Add a location marker if it helps: Ali Spain Trip. Pro tip: Put Ali down as Ali Jasmine Shaan Saba Bender. When he calls, you’ll have a handy reminder for all the names in his family, even the dog.
Lock it up. “Did I leave the iron/water heater/straightener on?” Sidestep the petty panic by saying it out loud as soon as you’ve switched off the appliance. “OK, toaster’s off” “OK, Bender’s fed”. It helps make the memory of each task linger. Long trip away from home? Just take photos of everything for proof that it’s safely switched off.
Go digital. For to-do lists or putting events into a planner, look for an app that also sets reminders. And set them for the little things: Thank you notes for the day after a friend’s dinner party, the pre-lunch vitamin, a note to yourself to relax when Mondays get busy, Secret Santa shopping recurring on December 1. Sync annual insurance-premium dates with your birthday. Most reminders (for bills, payments and reimbursements) accrue at the start and end of a month. Space out the less urgent ones for later to avoid being overwhelmed.
Give it a shelf life. Sherlock Holmes has a literal Mind Palace, a memory technique borrowed from Ancient Greece. Most memory champs use to remember arcane information. They start with a real-world location they’re familiar with: Their neighbourhood, daily commute and so on. Then, they visualise placing the things they need to remember along that route – a carton of milk leaning against the bus stop, a dozen eggs dancing in the office lobby. The more exaggerated the visual, the better they latch on to the memory. To recollect what to get from the supermarket, simply take a mental walk down the route when shopping.
