It happens to everyone: someone introduces themselves to you and you forget their name 10 seconds later. Or maybe your memory is failing in other ways on a regular basis in other ways. For example, suppose you’re at the checkout at Target staring at your full shopping cart, but can’t remember what you actually bought.

These memory gaps do occur, but according to renowned brain health expert Gary Small, MD, Chair of Psychiatry at Hackensack University Medical Center and co-author of The memory bible ($ 16), there are ways to train your brain to make these types of slips less common.

In fact, there is a brain training tip that he uses regularly that helps with both short and long-term memory. It’s a little thing he calls the Look, Snap, Connect method. “It’s an easy way to learn and remember something and remember it later in the future,” says Dr. Small. In his book he writes: “By mastering Look, Snap, Connect, you create a basis for solid memory training.”

Would you like to learn about the Look, Snap and Connect method? Read on to see how to do it.

1. Look

The first step in the method is to actively observe what you want to learn. “The main reason people don’t remember something is because they’re distracted,” says Dr. Small. “This is a reminder to get your attention.” He says that so often people try to multitask and divide their attention on different things and that this is a huge barrier to remembering information. When there’s something you want to remember, put your phone away and focus on the moment, advises Dr. Small.

For example, if it’s your first time in a new place and want to remember exactly where it is so that you can easily find it in the future, Dr. Small to focus on certain sights that you pass along the way. Actively pay attention to the gas station on the corner or Wendy’s at the traffic light where you turn.

2. Snap

Do you feel like you’re watching the scene pretty well? Now it’s time for the second step: Snap. “That includes taking a mental snapshot of the information you want to remember,” says Dr. Small. “They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s really because you have a better chance of being able to create a visual image that is tied to something you want to remember.”

Dr. Small says that your mental snapshot can be real (what you see) or imagined (a visual image that you put together in your head). “For me personally, I prefer unusual snapshots because they stimulate my memory better,” says Dr. Small.

For example, if you want to remember that someone’s name is Abe, it might be helpful to take a mental snapshot that is similar to Abe Lincoln – this is an example of an imaginary snapshot. “Others may prefer a more logical snapshot,” says Dr. Small. “It just depends on what works for you.” An example of a logical snapshot is the visualization of an empty detergent container in the trash so that you can remember to buy more later in the store.

Here is another example of practicing the snapshot method. For example, let’s say you’re at the gym and stashing your clothes in a locker with the number E12. You can take an imaginary mental snapshot of a dozen elephants wearing sportswear to give a locker number a meaning that means nothing to you. Would you like to use a more logical snapshot? Take a minute to actively observe where your locker is and take a mental snapshot of something meaningful. You may find it is closest to the showers or there is a bit of gum stuck to the locker next to it. Snap a mental snapshot of the sights you notice before you step out of the locker room.

3. Connect

The last step in the Look, Snap, Connect method is helpful when you need to remember multiple things that are not related. After work, you might need to pick up your dry cleaner, buy dog ​​food, and water your plants. “Connect is the basis of the link method, which organizes elements by linking the things to be remembered – the ideas or images become part of a chain, starting with the first element linked to the second, linked to the third and so on, ”explains Dr. Small in his book.

It can be helpful to take a few snapshots linking each of these tasks together. You can take a snapshot of you picking up your cleaning with a dog eating at the register and then the dog running out of the store and coming back with a watering can. Again, the nice thing about mental snapshots is that they are completely conceited and goofy. In fact, creating a fun story by linking playful mental snapshots can even help you remember something better.

If you just want to remember one thing – something like a person’s name – all you have to do is use the watch and snap steps of the method. However, if you want to remember more than one thing, it is best to follow all three steps.

“The more you practice it, the easier it becomes,” says Dr. Small. It’s like any other muscle. “Memory can be improved,” says Dr. Small. “Your mental performance can be improved. And that’s encouraging. “

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