When we remember things better at the start of a list this is called?

Our brains have limitless memory capacity. However, recall – actually accessing the information in our memories – is the sticking point.

Something as simple as remembering a name can show that you're an active listener and is often seen as a sign of respect. It can create a certain level of comfort, especially with someone you've just met. This can be a helpful tool in forming new business relationships.

We naturally remember visual cues better than words. The more senses you involve in learning or storing something, the better you will be at recalling it.

Benefits of Memory Techniques

There are many benefits to building up your memory capacity. Here are a few:

Improved Work Performance

When you implement memory tricks in the workplace, you can better remember the information you need daily. This can help you be more efficient and make fewer mistakes. 

Reduced Stress and Anxiety

Memory techniques can help you recall positive memories during a stressful situation to potentially reduce anxiety. When your nervous system is calmer, you can be more at ease and focus on the present moment.

Relationship-Building

You can gain great relationship-building benefits when you remember things about other people. This makes friends, family, and employees feel valued and appreciated.

7 Ways to Remember Things

If your memory could use a boost, you're in luck.

Here are 7 tips and tricks:

1. Use visual association.

This memory trick works for two reasons. We naturally remember visual cues better than words, and  the more senses you involve in learning or storing something, the better you will be at recalling it. 

Say you need to remember to submit a proposal to a client by 10 a.m. You commit your task to memory by visualizing your proposal on top of an alarm clock that reads "10 a.m." The trick here is to make the picture as vivid as possible. Imagine an alarm clock, with the time flashing and alarm blaring, and focus on it so that it becomes fully real in your mind.

2. Utilize the chunking technique.

The chunking technique is a memory trick that our brains use to divide large pieces of information into smaller units that are easier to digest. In a Verywell Mind article, neuroscientist Daniel Bor noted that chunking helps us "hack the limits of our memory."

The three main stages of chunking include grouping, finding patterns, and organizing information by meaning. For example, you might better memorize a phone number in three separate chunks instead of one long string of numbers.

3. Create routines.

If you build a daily routine for yourself in areas where you lack memory recall, you'll probably better remember things better. For example, if you have a terrible habit of misplacing your keys, try creating a routine of placing them on a hook right by your front door as soon as you walk into your home. Soon it will become a habit, and you'll always know where your keys are when you're heading out the door. 

4. Use rhymes and songs as memory techniques.

Rhymes can be powerful for helping your memory. If I were to ask you where the rain in Spain stays, you'd likely have an answer quickly. "Mainly in the plain," right? If you've seen My Fair Lady you'd likely recall this answer because of the memorable song. 

Creating a quick and easy song to jog your memory can be helpful and even fun. For example, you can create a song to remember a short list of tasks that you need to complete or a short grocery list. You can even make up short jingles when you learn new things for work or school. 

5. Use acronyms as memory tricks.

An acronym is an abbreviation from the first letter of other words that you pronounce as one word. One example of an acronym is HOMES which abbreviates the names of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.) Another is Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, the mathematical order of operations (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction). Abbreviations are super helpful tricks to help you remember things.

6. Use memory tricks to remember names.

If you remember a new acquaintance's or coworker's name, you demonstrate that they are important to you. It's worth spending some time creating specific memory tricks to remember names. 

Here are a few:

• Repeat the person's name back to them when they introduce themselves. Repetition helps embed new information into your mind. Repeat it more later, either aloud or directly, to help it stick in your mind.
• Focus on a few of the person's specific features that will help you remember them. Maybe Gayle wears glasses, or Barry has brown eyes. This is especially helpful if you meet more than one person with the same name. You can create the association and practice it in your mind.
• Associate their name with something concrete from TV, history, or your personal experience. For example, when you meet someone named Richard for the first time, you might picture them with a crown on their head. When you meet a person named Helen, you imagine them on a ship laying siege to Troy.

7. Download an app to help you remember things.

Extra help remembering things is just a download away. There are several apps available that can help to improve your recall and keep important events and information in the palm of your hand.

Automation Apps & Devices

IFTT (If This Then That) is an automation app that can connect to other apps and even help you establish a routine for yourself. You can automatically schedule a "happy birthday" email or text to your contacts on their special day if they're set in your Google calendar. When something happens on one service, it can trigger an action to occur on another. It's like having a personal assistant. Similar apps include the Apple Shortcuts app and Automate for Android. You can also utilize various smart speakers to create automated routines in your home and office.

Apps for Passwords

There's no need to remember all of your passwords, and it's unsafe to use the same password for all of your logins. This is where a password app comes in. Apps like Google password manager, LastPass, and the iCloud Keychain can safely store information like your usernames, passwords, and Wi-Fi password. It can also store personal data like your name, address, and credit card information.

Note Apps

Evernote, Google Keep, and Apple Notes are ideal for remembering things like grocery lists, birthdates, or notes for a presentation or class. You can create checklists, save photos, and even scan documents in these applications, which can likely help many parts of your life. You can sync the app to your other devices like your iPad or laptop so you always have them with you. 

Can putting these tricks to work magically give you a perfect memory? Of course not, but you can try to improve it – which can impact how your peers, clients, and employees perceive you. More importantly, it can make you feel less stressed, happier, and more productive.

A version of this article was originally published on September 05, 2013.

Photo: Getty Images

When we remember things from the beginning of a list it is called?

What is it called when you remember what you want to remember?

What is it called when you remember the first and last thing?

What type of memory is remembering a list of words?