Whether phone numbers or birthdays: memory trainer Christiane Stenger gives tips on how words and numbers stay in long-term memory.
After work, a quick trip to the supermarket to do a little shopping. Milk, eggs, lettuce, tomatoes – but what was the fifth article? So that our memory does not let us down in everyday life, there are methods with which we can train it specifically. Christiane Stenger is a memory trainer and bestselling author who writes, among other things, "Don't leave your brain unattended" and "Why does the sheep fall from the tree?" wrote. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the former junior memory champion explains how we can remember shopping lists, telephone numbers, birthdays and names.
If you want to do a small errand in the supermarket, you don't necessarily need a shopping list. How do things stay in your head?
Christiane Stenger: I recommend devising and memorizing a body route. For example, if you want to buy detergent, imagine washing your feet with detergent. Then it goes up. If you want to buy a cucumber, imagine small slices of cucumber on your knees – like a beauty mask. We can imagine a carton of milk in our trouser pockets. The tomatoes are on the back because because we love them so much, we got a tomato tattoo. For onions, we can imagine wearing a belt made of onions.
So we can go through our list bit by bit in our minds and the crazier the imaginary images, the better they stay in the mind. However, I suggest only memorizing special foods, because we usually have the usual errands in mind anyway.
However, this technique does not work with numbers. How do you remember phone numbers?
Stenger: Numbers are very abstract, which is why it is even more difficult for us to remember them. Here is my tip to think of a picture for each number. Because of its shape, the zero is an egg, the one a tree, because it has a trunk, the two is a swan, since its neck is curved like this number, the three could be a tricycle. Everyone can come up with their own pictures.
Easy memo stories can be formed from these number images. It's about coming up with a crazy and strange narrative. If you repeat this story regularly, you will quickly have the phone number in your head.
Does it work in a similar way when we want to memorize the birthdays of friends and acquaintances?
Stenger: First, let's imagine the person whose birthday we want to remember. Suppose this person's birthday is on August 6th. For the day I could choose a cube as a symbol because it has six sides. The person has the dice in their hand and is blindfolded. Because we can easily associate the month of August with the eye.
A situation that many should be familiar with: We get to know someone – and a moment later we have forgotten their name. How can something like this be prevented?
Stenger: Here, too, associations and word games help: Michael likes to drink milk, Anna balances a pineapple on her head, Matthias likes to jump around on mats. I mainly use this simple method in everyday life.
It is important to consider: What should my brain remember and what can I take from it? It's okay to write down appointments. Remembering lots of appointments – such as when the next doctor's visit is due – makes little sense. I only use these techniques when it really makes sense.
With my learning technique you should start with small steps. For example, one evening take the time to memorize a friend's phone number or use technology to try to internalize five groceries for shopping.