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4 Easy Ways To Strengthen Your Memory

These tips can help you remember names, to-do lists, important dates, and more.

This article originally appeared in the September 2016 issue of SELF.

Find yourself losing things? Forgetting the one thing you had to remember? We hear you. That’s why we tapped Denise Park, Ph.D., distinguished university chair in behavioral and brain sciences at the University of Texas in Dallas. She gave us these four great (and easy!) tips for boosting your memory and keeping it all straight. 

1. Write it down.

When 59 memory researchers were polled, putting a piece of intel onto paper was the best way to remember it.

2. Identify a go-to spot.

Keep things you use regularly, like keys and eyeglasses, in the exact same place when you’re not using them.

3. Create a visual story.

Park your car in the green level of a big lot? Picture it sitting under a leafy tree so you don’t forget where you left it.

4. Schedule reminders.

Use your tech strategically and set up calendar alerts for everything from your boyfriend’s birthday to brunch with the girls.

For more from the September issue, subscribe to SELF and download the digital edition. This full issue is available August 9 on national newsstands.

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