10 Ways To Improve Memory: Science-Backed Methods

Looking for proven ways to improve memory? You’re in luck, because memory responds to practice and habits more than most people think.

Psychology research shows that how you study can matter as much as how long. On the health side, the 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia found that addressing 14 modifiable risk factors could prevent or delay about 45% of dementia cases worldwide.

Below are 10 ways to improve memory, starting with techniques you can use today and ending with habits that protect your brain for decades.

The 10 Ways At A Glance

#	Method	Type	Best For
1	Test yourself (retrieval practice)	Psychology	Studying, learning facts
2	Space out your review	Psychology	Long-term retention
3	Connect new ideas to what you know	Psychology	Understanding, not just memorizing
4	Use mnemonics and the memory palace	Psychology	Lists, names, sequences
5	Break information into chunks	Psychology	Numbers, long lists
6	Focus on one thing at a time	Attention	Focus and memory together
7	Exercise regularly	Lifestyle	Long-term brain health
8	Sleep well	Lifestyle	Locking in new memories
9	Stay social and keep learning	Lifestyle	Aging well
10	Protect heart, hearing, and vision	Health	Lowering dementia risk

Methods To Improve Memory In Psychology: What The Research Says?

The most useful study of memory improvement methods comes from psychologist John Dunlosky and colleagues.

In a 2013 review published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, they rated 10 common learning techniques.

Only two earned the top “high utility” rating: practice testing and distributed practice. Popular habits like rereading and highlighting landed at the bottom.

Rating	Techniques
High utility	Practice testing, distributed (spaced) practice
Moderate utility	Elaborative interrogation, self-explanation, interleaved practice
Low utility	Summarization, highlighting, keyword mnemonic, imagery for text, rereading

That table is the backbone of the first five methods below.

1. Test Yourself

The most powerful memory increase tip is to practice pulling information out of your head instead of putting it back in.

Flashcards, practice questions, and closing the book to recall key points all count. Dunlosky’s team says students would benefit simply by swapping rereading for delayed self-testing.

Try it: After reading a page, close the book and write down everything you remember. Then check what you missed.

2. Space Out Your Review

Distributed practice means spreading study sessions over days instead of cramming them into one night.

It earned the same top rating as self-testing. Reviewing something a day later, then a few days later, then a week later helps it stick far longer.

Try it: Instead of one 3-hour session, do three 1-hour sessions across a week.

3. Connect New Ideas to What You Know

Asking yourself why something is true (elaborative interrogation) and explaining how new information fits with what you already know (self-explanation) both earned moderate ratings.

Mixing different types of problems in one session, called interleaving, did too. These methods build understanding, which makes facts easier to recall.

Try it: When you learn a new fact, ask, “Why would that be true?” and answer it out loud.

4. Use Mnemonics for Specific Lists

Mnemonics, such as acronyms, rhymes, and the memory palace (picturing items placed along a familiar route), can help you remember names, lists, and sequences.

They’re useful tools, but be realistic: the keyword mnemonic got a low rating in Dunlosky’s review for several reasons, including limited evidence that it helps beyond specific word lists. Use mnemonics for specific lists, not as your main study method.

Try it: To remember a shopping list, picture each item in a different room of your home.

5. Break Information Into Chunks

Chunking means grouping small pieces of information into larger, meaningful units. It’s why phone numbers are split into groups of digits.

Your short-term memory handles a few chunks far more easily than a long string of separate items.

Try it: Group a long list of vocabulary words by theme before memorizing them.

6. Focus on One Thing at a Time

You can’t remember something you never really noticed. If you’re wondering how to improve focus and memory together, start by single-tasking.

Put your phone out of reach, close extra browser tabs, and give each task your full attention.

Try it: Work in 25-minute focused blocks with a 5-minute break between them.

7. Exercise Regularly

Exercise is one of the clearest ways to improve brain health. In a 2011 trial published in PNAS, 120 sedentary older adults walked for 40 minutes three times a week.

After a year, their hippocampus, the brain’s main memory center, grew by about 2%, while a stretching-only group saw it shrink. 

he walkers’ memory improved too, and the growth roughly reversed one to two years of age-related loss.

Try it: Start with brisk 20-minute walks and build up to 40 minutes, three times a week.

8. Sleep Well

Your brain sorts and stores new memories while you sleep. Studying and then sleeping helps information stick, while short or broken sleep makes it harder to focus and recall.

Spaced study sessions work especially well with a night of sleep between them.

Try it: Keep a steady bedtime and avoid all-nighters before exams.

9. Stay Social and Keep Learning

The 2024 Lancet Commission lists social isolation and lower education among its 14 dementia risk factors.

Dementia Australia notes that mentally stimulating activities lower risk even later in life. Conversations, group activities, and new skills all keep your brain engaged.

Try it: Join a class, club, or volunteer group that meets weekly.

10. Protect Your Heart, Hearing, and Vision

Several of the Lancet Commission’s risk factors aren’t about the brain directly: high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, diabetes, hearing loss, and vision loss.

Keeping them in check protects memory over the long run.

Try it: Get your blood pressure, cholesterol, hearing, and eyes checked on schedule.

10 Healthy Habits For Brain Health (Quick Checklist)

These brain health tips pull everything together:

• Quiz yourself instead of rereading
• Spread study or practice over several days
• Exercise at least three times a week
• Keep a regular sleep schedule
• Eat plenty of vegetables, berries, nuts, beans, and fish
• See friends or family regularly
• Learn something new
• Check blood pressure and cholesterol
• Treat hearing and vision problems
• Don’t smoke, and limit alcohol

10 Ways To Prevent Alzheimer’s

No method can guarantee you’ll avoid Alzheimer’s, but these steps target risk factors named by the 2024 Lancet Commission:

Step	Risk Factor It Targets
1. Treat high blood pressure	Hypertension
2. Use hearing aids if you need them	Hearing loss
3. Lower high LDL cholesterol	High LDL cholesterol
4. Treat vision problems	Vision loss
5. Stay physically active	Physical inactivity
6. Stay socially connected	Social isolation
7. Quit smoking	Smoking
8. Drink less alcohol	Excessive alcohol
9. Manage blood sugar and weight	Diabetes and obesity
10. Wear a helmet and prevent falls	Traumatic brain injury

The list’s other risk factors are lower education, depression, and air pollution.

How Can You Reverse Cognitive Decline?

Some forms of cognitive decline can improve when the underlying cause is identified and treated.

Potentially treatable causes include vitamin B12 deficiency, thyroid problems, medication side effects, depression, sleep apnea, and hearing loss.

If you or someone close to you notices changes in memory, concentration, or thinking, start with a medical evaluation.

A healthcare professional can review symptoms, medications, sleep patterns, and other health factors to identify possible causes.

Cognitive decline caused by Alzheimer’s disease generally cannot be reversed, but an early diagnosis can help people explore appropriate treatments, manage symptoms, and plan for the future.

Some treatments may help slow the progression of symptoms in eligible patients.

The key takeaway: Don’t assume memory problems are simply a normal part of aging. Getting checked early may reveal a treatable cause and help you access appropriate care.

Final Thought: The Best Way To Improve Your Memory

The most effective way to improve memory combines proven learning techniques with healthy daily habits.

For better recall, practice active recall by testing yourself and use spaced repetition to review information at gradually increasing intervals.

Both methods were highlighted in Dunlosky and colleagues’ 2013 review of learning techniques.

For long-term brain health, stay physically active, get enough sleep, maintain social connections, and manage health factors such as blood pressure.

It’s also important to address hearing and vision problems when they arise.

You don’t need expensive supplements or memory gadgets to get started. Focus on a few practical habits you can maintain consistently.

Over time, these small changes can help you learn more effectively and support your overall brain health

If you want more ways to boost memory naturally, our article covers brain foods, stress and student tips.

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References

1. Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58.
2. Erickson, K. I., Voss, M. W., Prakash, R. S., et al. (2011). Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(7), 3017–3022.
3. Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Liu, K. Y., et al. (2024). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. The Lancet, 404(10452), 572–628.
4. Stickgold, R. (2005). Sleep-dependent memory consolidation. Nature, 437, 1272–1278.
5. Dementia Australia. Risk factors for developing dementia.
6. Association for Psychological Science. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques.