There are many ways to classify the human mind and its ability to retain information. One of the most widely used classifications is based on the length of memory retention, specifically sensory, short-term, and long-term memory. Short-term memory refers to recent memory, and it is usually only retained for a very short period of time. A common example would be when you meet a lot of new people, introduced superficially at a party. Long-term memory, on the other hand, can be thought of as a database where all the information you have learned is stored. Sensory memory is transmitted through the senses of sight and hearing, where you store these “images” in your mind.

asleep

Getting enough sleep is a must to improve memory. Studies have shown that sensory memory can be more firmly integrated into long-term memory when you get enough sleep. Research has also shown that facts and other information can also be more easily retained and remembered when combined with sleep. This has been attributed to the fact that sleep strengthens memories and makes them less vulnerable to environmental interference.

emotions

Emotions also play an important role in memory retention. The emotional impact that an image, word or event has on the individual has a great impact on its storage in long-term memory. This is so because the amygdala, the part of the mind that is concerned with emotion, is an important factor in tailoring memories according to importance, depending on the intensity of the emotions. This is regardless of the nature of the emotion.

Memory retention tools

The human mind is a complex element of our cognitive abilities and memories can be verbal or non-verbal. There are many techniques to retain information. These include the organization of information through meaning, where associations between new information are received and linked to information already stored in long-term memory. Other forms of such memory retention techniques include visual organization, by linking information to visual images, and similarity organization, where similar concepts or objects are grouped based on certain characteristics.

Mnemonic devices are another tool often used in memory retention. The use of acronyms is common, especially in branding, where a sequence of words is easily remembered based on the first letter of each word in the list being used to form a single new word. Acrostics are also commonly used when the list of words is required to be learned in a specific order. Catchy rhymes or songs are used in business management articles, putting new words into a familiar jingle to better capture and retain information.