Memory

Losing your keys. Forgetting the bread at the store. Blanking on people’s names—that you just met five minutes ago. They’re all pesky (and often embarrassing) reminders of memory malfunctions. Our working, or short-term, memory is also the basis of intellect. And our long-term memory lets us remember events from our past that we may have experienced years ago. Some of them you may wish you could forget…like that very unfortunate phase in the third grade when you wore two buns on your head and insisted that absolutely everyone address you as “Princess Leia.” But for better or worse, memory is critical for our sense of consciousness. And without it, we’d have no real sense of who we are.

Milk Your Memory for All it’s Worth

There are plenty of activities to help maximize memory—whether you’re in your thirties and starting to experience those so-called “senior moments” for the first time, a parent trying to give your kids an edge in school or a baby boomer out to keep your mind as fresh as it was during the Carter administration. Try writing things down to commit them to memory, challenging your mind with trivia games to reestablish old connections between brain cells and playing games that ask you to remember random sequences to help forge new connections.

Want to Learn More?

Check out the links below to see what experts and everyday people are saying about memory. Then, browse our favorite memory-boosting games, puzzles, software, books and more.