Internal Memory Strategies

Small Chunks

• • Organize information under key headings in small amounts. Try to break down information into small, 'bite-sized' chunks rather than long, rambling streams of information. Put no more than five or six 'bits' of information in each chunk.

Repeat and Rehearse

• • Repeat information over and over, silently in your mind. This strategy is helpful when trying to learn someone's name or a telephone number.

Aim for Deep-Level Processing

• • The more new information can be attached to existing memories or mental structures, the more thoroughly it will be processed.

Make Links or Associations

• • Make mental associations in your mind by linking new ideas to existing knowledge or information. If you want to remember that Alex's birthday is on December 27th, imagine how that is two days after Christmas, the poor guy probably got lots of joint Christmas/Birthday gifts as a child. The more links you can make or bits of information, thoughts, or knowledge you have about something - however silly or bizarre - the more profound the level of processing, and the better you will remember.

Make Visual Pictures

• • They say that a picture is worth 1,000 words. We remember pictures and images much more than words. Thinking of somebody's name in terms of an image will help you remember it. Try to make the picture as vivid, bizarre, and exaggerated as possible - put color, humor, and movement into the picture.

Stories or Rhymes

• • Make up a story or think of a rhyme that includes the information you want to remember.  Making the rhymes or stories silly or funny can make them more memorable. Mnemonics are useful for memorizing as well. For example, 'My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Noodles' when trying to remember the order of the planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune). 

Expanded Rehearsal

• • Repeat the information in your mind immediately after taking it in, then again after a slight delay. Then increase the delay by a few hours, and later by a few days. Short, frequent study periods are the best way to learn while progressively increasing the gaps between rehearsals.

Use Retrieval Cues

• • This involves retracing a sequence of events or actions in your mind to remember something. This is a great strategy for when you've misplaced things.

First Letter Cueing

• This is good for recalling somebody's name. Go through the letters of the alphabet one by one, and when you reach the first letter of the person's name, it sometimes prompts recall.