Year on year, statistics inexorably show a declining number of readers in the developed world. Modernity seems finally to have killed the book. Nevertheless the question remains: What better way is there simultaneously to receive entertainment, learning, and even increased self-esteem? Consider the following…

1. ENHANCED MEMORY
There is a strong correlation between reading and remembering. Reading is training for the brain in much the same way that attending a gym is training for the body: It helps you to stretch your memory muscles. While reading, you memorize characters and plots, as well as associate different facts and events. It is well understood that if you don’t use your memory, you lose it. When you read you put your memory to use. Conversely, poor long-term memory can cause difficulties with reading or reading comprehension. Reading and memory complement one another perfectly.

2. IMPROVED VOCABULARY
This particular consequence of reading seems to be somewhat obvious, but did you know that through reading you tend to learn more words than through direct teaching, or even talking? When reading, you often have to deal with words that you do not use every day, along with those which have fallen into disuse. Your brain works like a sponge, soaking up every bit of knowledge that you are faced with, storing it for future use.

3. BOOST CREATIVITY
Allow your imagination to be fired while reading, especially when it comes to fiction. That way your brain is engaged in producing new images, creating new worlds, and entering other realities. Often when talking with friends about a book, it can turn out that each person has entirely different ideas about what they have read – the characters have different hairstyles and dispositions. Housing and buildings have a different design. This is the strength and uniqueness of our creativity. Reading regularly will only widen that.

4. ENHANCEMENT OF WRITING SKILLS
As well as improving your vocabulary, reading can enhance your writing skills through exposing you to good punctuation, new language, and correct grammar. Various phrases and constructions are mentally reinforced while we read. Successful authors generally assert that in order to succeed as a writer, one needs to read, every day. Books can provide endless inspiration for your own creation. As you read, you will become better and better at writing.

5. CONCENTRATION AND FOCUS
Books move you into other worlds while lifting you out of your normal reality. How many times have you had your nose buried in a book, only to be suddenly snatched away from reading, whence you required a few moments to readjust to the real world? A good book demands your full attention, and so reading is great for improving concentration.

6. STRENGTHENED SELF-ESTEEM
Books have always naturally been associated with wisdom, learning, intelligence, and erudition. The very sight of someone reading a book conjures these sorts of ideas. Then there are the aforementioned features: improved memory and concentration, greater vocabulary, and other skills. All of this contributes to your confidence and sense of well-being.

7. FIND LOVE
Everyone wants to have a partner who reads! This is one of the most frequently mentioned characteristics of an ideal partner. Need any more convincing? Right. Didn’t think so. …Can you hear the stampede of Kwik Learners right now, running to break down the door of their local libraries?

1. Think, think, think.
Mental fitness in invaluable to your brain. It’s simple: the more you use the brain, the better it works. Read a book. Solve crosswords and Sudoku puzzles. Play cards or bingo. Join a book club or discussion group. Learn to speak Italian or play the guitar. Sign up for a cooking course (or start teaching cookery). Do whatever you want, and then in addition to training, you’ll have fun.

2. Get regular physical exercise.
Now you’re probably thinking: “Again!?” Does every tip really have to incorporate something concerning exercise and diet? The answer is clear: It is certainly worth considering a change in these habits once and forever. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which in turn helps keep the brain healthy and working well. There are so many options: You can walk, swim, dance, cycle, or buy a pogo stick. In case of bad weather you can even walk around the mall – it’s all about moving.

3. Improve your diet.
As mentioned, diet is an integral part of any advice relating to the brain. Keep your calories in check. In both animals and humans, a reduced caloric intake has been linked to a lower risk of mental decline in old age, as well as an increase in longevity. Check out our tips for brain’s diet.
It will also help you improve your blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, which further decreases the risk of cognitive decline in old age.

4. Value serenity.
Probably now you are questioning your lifestyle, and maybe even panicking. …Something along the lines of “OMG I have to subscribe to a German language course, take up yoga, run out and buy vegetables RIGHT NOW before my brain withers away!” Well, stay calm. Relax. Take it easy. As well as challenges, your brain needs rest. Long-term depression or chronic stress can result in the loss of brain volume. This ailment leads to emotional and cognitive impairments. Sleep, exercise, and meditation are all very helpful. Treat yourself the best you can.

5. Watch out for addictions.
Avoid tobacco entirely. When it comes to alcohol, it depends: Excessive quantities and habitual drunkenness is a major risk factor when it comes to dementia. But if you choose to drink responsibly, up to two drinks a day, the risk can even be reduced.

6. Hang out with friends.
Spending time with friendly people gives your brain a boost. This may mean going out with friends, having a nice chat with the neighbors, or meeting new people in a bar. This allows you to trigger positive emotions and reduce stress. You can combine different activities: Go for a bike ride with a friend, then eat some fish, and finish up with solving a crossword.

7. Protect your head.
Various head injuries increase the risk of cognitive impairment in old age. Be careful! …Prevention is better than cure. Wear a helmet when riding a bicycle or motorcycle as long as your head contains your “hard drive”.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
-George Eliot

…Or if you can change its age?

These days we devote a lot of attention to our bodies: We spend money on cosmetics, beauty treatments, and cosmetic surgery. We work out and run for hours on treadmills at the gym. Staying youthful has long been a dream and challenge for our species. Lately it’s become a real trend, reinforced by everyone around us.

But what use is a young body when the brain continues to age? …What can be done to let the brain keep up? Immediately new technology comes to mind; gene-therapy, space technology, and new forms of brain surgery. Now imagine someone tells you that you don’t need these kinds of treatments and that you don’t have to spend so much money, and what’s more, that everything is in your hands (and in fact, in your head)?

It is not a particularly jolly thought when we reflect on our brain’s natural tendency naturally to start slowing down at the age of 30 (yes, 30…). It may sound scary, and you might get the feeling that there isn’t anything we can do about it. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. According to various research, people of any age can train their brains to be faster and, in effect, younger.

A particularly renowned expert in this field is Dr. Daniel Amen, whom Kwik Learning featured in August of 2011. See how he described this phenomenon, and how practical his advice is.
It is both fascinating and reassuring that this slowing down turns out not to be a big deal. Dr. Amen’s advice concerns things that you can do each day without interfering too much with your schedule. The results are invaluable.

Various studies show that the brain, as well as the body, needs exercise. “Reading the newspaper, writing letters, visiting a library, attending a play, or playing games such as chess or checkers are all simple activities that can contribute to a healthier brain.” says Dr. Arfanakis from Rush University Medical Center and Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

Dr. Arfanakis studied the effects of late-life cognitive activity on the brain’s white matter, which is composed of nerve fibers, or axons, that transmit information throughout the brain.

He studied 152 individuals without dementia or cognitive impairment, with an average age of 81.They had to complete a survey indicating the frequency of everyday tasks such as reading newspapers and magazines, writing letters, and playing cards and board games. Data analysis revealed significant associations between the frequency of cognitive activity in later life and higher diffusion anisotropy values in the brain. Researchers gathered this data while conducting various experiments on the brain – the most fascinating organ in our body.

Gene changes may also lead to a reduction in the brain’s aging process, although research is ongoing.

While we wait for more information in this area, it is certainly worth asking the question of whether we want to interfere with the brain surgically while we can do so much on our own and without much effort. …Visit us on Monday to find a set of tips how to keep your mind young.

MYTH 1. You use only 10% of your brain.
Actually, you use your entire brain. Brain scans  have proved that our brains are always active, no matter what we’re doing. Of course, some areas are more active than others. It’s like this: if you’re sitting and drinking fruit juice, your legs aren’t being used actively, but it doesn’t mean they don’t work. Blood circulates in them even if you’re not moving.

Of course, we may only ever tap in to a very small percentage of our brain’s potential, but this doesn’t mean that we need to use more of it …only that we need to use it in a better, more effective way.

A lot of different processes take place in our brains at the same time because we do a lot of things unconsciously, such as breathing, blinking, and maintaining our heartbeats. Nevertheless, while we’re obviously still learning a great deal about the brain, there is no “hidden space” invisible to brain scanners.

MYTH2. Alcohol always kills brain cells.
You do not have to be a great and wise observer to conclude that alcohol affects the brain: Impaired motor skills, slurred speech, followed later by a hangover. However, can a glass of wine in the evening or even a few drinks at the weekend kill cells in the brain? And what about alcoholics? Even in extreme cases, alcohol doesn’t kill cells. It can, however, damage the ends of neurons, which are called dendrites. This results in problems with conveying messages between the neurons. The cell itself isn’t damaged, but the way that it communicates with others is altered. That’s why alcohol causes amnesia. And therefore large quantities of alcohol can destroy health.

MYTH3. Classical music makes you smarter.
How do you feel when listening to classical music ? More cultured, smarter? Unfortunately, it is only an illusion. There are no studies that confirm this theory. However, record labels earn a lot of money by selling CDs with classical music for pregnant women and newborns, as millions of parents believe that exposure to Mozart will inevitably lead to the birth of little Einsteins. This music soothes and calms, but it does not make you a genius by changing your brain. It is better to spend money on music lessons, as in that case at least there is evidence that this improves coordination, concentration, and increases self-esteem.

MYTH4. The brain cannot make new cells.
It is not the true that the number of brain cells is constant. Most of the cells are formed before birth, however, the brain still creates new cells and remains adaptable. They are formed mainly in the hippocampus  which is responsible for memory, and in the olfactory bulb, where smells are processed. On this basis another myth was also refuted, namely that all kinds of brain damage are ineluctably permanent.

MYTH5. Drugs create holes in the brain.
There are many different beliefs about drugs. Some people claim that even the smallest dose of certain hard drugs can cause permanent brain damage. Others say that it only takes a single exposure to so-called “soft” drugs to cause the same effect. There are also widely held (albeit scientifically groundless) opinions that when it comes to using drugs such as cocaine or ecstasy it is possible to get “holes” in your brain. Research has indeed demonstrated that drugs can cause long- and short-term changes in the brain, although among these changes positive as negative ones can be listed. To date, the only thing that has been fond to actually put a hole in your brain is physical trauma.

Maybe you know some other brain-related myths? …In fact you almost certainly do. Human beings love explanations for things. It is in our nature to seek them out and create them. We are so fond of this behaviour that we prefer a bad, unsubstantiated explanation to none at all, and so myths are bound to arise. The most persistent ones are those which, while being essentially wrong, still contain at least a shred of truth. Whichever examples you have come across, we would love to hear from you at Kwik Learning.

Food supplements sold to promote memory and concentration are based on plant extracts and compounds that are also present in food products. So instead of reaching for another pill, maybe it’s worth making a few minor modifications in our diet in order to encourage our brains to work better?

Indispensable omega-3
One of the nutrients that undoubtedly has an impact on the efficiency of our mind, and also on our mood and well-being, is omega-3. It is essential in the maintenance of brain tissue, and so we can not operate without it. The richest sources of omega-3 are sea fish such as herring, sardines, mackerel, halibut, and tuna. Fish that belong to the salmon family, such as trout (and of course salmon itself) also contain a relatively high concentration of these acids. Be aware that in addition to fish and seafood in general, omega-3 is also found in nuts, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, olive oil, and flaxseed oil. There are plenty of dishes which you can try in order to increase your intake of omega-3. International organizations dealing with issues of health and nutrition, such as the World Health Organization, recommend consuming two to three servings of fatty sea fish per week.

Iron
Memory and concentration is also affected by iron intake. This mineral component is part of hemoglobin – a compound that delivers oxygen to the brain cells, which is necessary for metabolising glucose – the primary energy source for the brain. In the case of dietary iron deficiency, glucose is not properly metabolized, resulting in the brain receiving an inadequate source to get “fuel” to work – meaning that you work slowly and less efficiently. The best source of iron in the diet is red meat, although this does not mean that you should eat it with abandon. To prevent iron deficiency in the body, it is sufficient to eat red meat once a week. There are also relatively large quantities in vegetable products such as spinach, pumpkin seeds, and soy. You should also remember that a good source of iron in our diet is whole grain cereals.

Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1 also has an impact on the functioning of our brain, because it is involved in the metabolism of glucose. Deficiencies of vitamin B1 in the body are manifested mainly by fatigue, problems with concentration, and lack of memory. To prevent these symptoms, our diet should be rich in coarse grains. So that means bran, whole wheat, oatmeal or buckwheat, nuts, dried legumes, and milk.

In conclusion, when composing a menu before an important meeting or exam, you should pay particular attention to the nutrients that support the body’s functions, such as omega-3, iron, and vitamin B1. During this period your diet should be particularly rich in fatty saltwater fish, wholegrain cereals, pulses, and nuts. Bon appétit!

Do you dream about speaking Chinese or Italian but find that you’re put off or even frightened by the prospect of tedious, long-term study?… It does not have to be like that. You ARE able to achieve your language goals. Just follow our Kwik Hacks:

1. Answer the following question: “Why do I want to learn this language?” The answers may be many and various – you might want to read books in the original language, communicate with friends from foreign countries, or go travelling and be understood. You will be in the best position to succeed if your goals are not imposed by others. They become your motivation then. Stay focussed on your goals.

2. Commit mistakes. Sounds ridiculous? This is how one learns. Children do not care about self-control; they are not ashamed …at least not until adults “teach” them how to be so. They just talk and enjoy it. Do the same – derive pleasure and joy from your learning. Don’t be afraid; just talk. Most native speakers commit frequent mistakes in their mother tongues, and so those conversing in a second or third language ought by no means to be ashamed of doing so while learning something new …and the fact you try will be appreciated!

3. Learn between 10 and 20 words per-day, focussing on ‘useful’ vocabulary, especially at the beginning. Always have a dictionary with you, and keep in mind that nowadays there are a lot of mobile apps to aid this process too. Listen to conversations; essential words are those which native speakers use in everyday life. This may be more useful than memorizing a list of wild animals or all types of bread.

4. From the beginning, focus on real language. Even if you are just taking baby steps. Watch TV, read articles, listen to music, audiobooks, and dialogues. Thanks to that you will surely become familiar with the accent and melody of a language. You can also do this kind of listening when you are busy with something else. That way, subconsciously (by using right hemisphere), you will naturally find yourself switching into ‘natural language mode’. Another great way to learn is by watching films in foreign languages, with subtitles in your own. Two in one – learning and fun.

5. Pay attention to what especially interests you. That sort of learning comes quickly and is most enjoyable. Learn through emotions. Involve your hobby, passion, profession. If you are interested in photography, get hold of some texts and videos on the topic. …Or maybe you prefer sports or politics? With the Internet, the availability of materials is astonishing. It’s really worth becoming emotionally involved with your study. Emotions control our attention and memory. While gaining information on issues that are close to our hearts, our memory receives the message that “This is important, remember this!”.

6. Learn practically. Label household items, food, your bedroom, and everything you use. First, learn the phrases that describe your daily activities (which really means YOU, and not the anonymous hero of the course book). “I’m going to work”, “I have to do my homework”, “Let’s make a sandwich”, “I am angry”, “What a pretty girl”. …Describe yourself and what surrounds you. Use these sentences several times each day.

7. Value regularity! This cannot be avoided; learning a foreign language has to be systematic. Learn every day, and don’t let go of your drive and direction. Intensive study is much easier if we learn the real elements of a language, through practice, and by engaging emotions. Applying this approach day-to-day, we can take so-called unproductive time and turn it into something golden. Then we begin to think in the language we want to learn.

Perhaps you are learning a language, or you’ve successfully got to grips with one, and now you can share your best practices?

In any case, there’s a huge word of linguistic challenges and opportunities out there. Go and have fun with them!

Read Part One Here

So now you’ve got A to M locked into your brain. Great!

Well, traditionally, M is followed by N, and so at the risk of seeming predictable, I thought today we’d start with…

N: November
The only word in the radio alphabet which uses a month of the year. Picture a calendar in your mind, and see the N of “November” in large bold print, then imagine it magically growing bigger and bigger on the page. N. November. On the calendar you’ve written your plan for the evening, which is to watch the film Schindler’s List…

O: Oscar
Think of Oscar (Oskar) Schindler looking really surprised, with his mouth wide open like a big round O. He’s surprised because his father has suddenly appeared after everyone believed he was dead!

P: Papa
In surprise Oskar exclaims “Papa!!!! …Where have you been?”

Q: Quebec
It turns out that his father was living in Canada’s capital city, Quebec, working for the national Shakespeare theatre there…

R: Romeo
…You’re prompted to remember that you still haven’t got to the end of your book, and so you return to reading Romeo and Juliet.

S: Sierra
You imagine Romeo on a boat. He’s standing there breathing in the sea air with a smile on his face. Sea air. …Sierra.

T: Tango
The fresh sea air makes Romeo feel full of energy and zest, so he starts dancing the tango on the deck of the boat. T. Tango.

U: Uniform
As he dances, you notice the detail of his white and blue sailor’s uniform. A hundred more sailors come up on deck, all in uniform too. U. Uniform.

V: Victor
One of the sailors is Victor Kiam, from the Remington ads. He takes out his sword from the sheath on his belt and starts to shave with it, saying “As close as a blade or your money back!”.

W: Whiskey
Discovering that they are all out of rum, the sailors crack open a big barrel of whiskey and get completely drunk. Some of them fall over on the hard deck and break bones, requiring a hospital visit and an X-ray.

X: X-ray
See the drunken injured sailors all queueing up to be x-rayed in the accident and emergency ward of a hospital. X-Ray.

Y: Yankee
The doctor comes out and speaks to the sailors in a strong southern accent. Although he’s dressed in a white doctor’s gown, he looks very strange and memorable, because on on his head he is wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap.

Z: Zulu
Down the corridor, a Zulu is sitting in a grass thong, holding a spear and shield. You look at him, and he looks back and shakes his spear at you. For some reason you think of Romeo and Juliet again…

And that’s the whole alphabet!!!

…Now, can you spell your name out loud using the radio alphabet? How about spelling you pet’s name, or maybe even “Kwik Learning”?

You’ll find that the more names and words you spell aloud using this system, the faster the correct word comes to your mind. In no time at all you’ll be able confidently and quickly to spell out any word to anyone, no matter how bad the phone line or how crackly the radio.

For most people, learning their A to Z is among the earliest school exercise they experience. Maybe you can cast your mind back and recall big colourful pictures of letters posted around the wall in your first classroom. …Let me guess, ‘A’ was accompanied by a big green apple, right?

When spelling unusual names or difficult/highly technical words in face-to-face conversation, simply saying each letter one-at-a-time is normally an effective way to get the message across …but what about over the phone when the quality of the line is poor? …And how about when you’re a pilot or a soldier talking over a crackly radio to someone just on the edge of the signal’s range? In those sorts of situations an ‘E’ can sound a lot like a ‘T’, a ‘B’, or a ‘C’…

So how do pilots, soldiers, policemen, firemen, security staff, and other people who rely on radio communication get around this problem? They use something called the “radio alphabet”.

One of the great things about the radio alphabet is that it is truly international. You can land a plane in any airport in the world, and use one single system to give your position and bearing. Another great thing about the radio alphabet is that no letter sounds like any other, practically guaranteeing confusion-free communication, even with heavy background interference.

So what is it, and how can you commit it to memory?

Lets start with ‘A’, the radio word for which is “Alpha”.

A: Alpha
For most people this is a pretty easy one with which to start. As well as being the first letter of the Greek alphabet, it’s often used in English to talk about the first thing in order of importance or status. So, you probably don’t need any special tricks to make it stick. A. Alpha.

B: Bravo
As an alpha performer, you find yourself in a famous Italian opera house, standing on stage and reading out the radio alphabet to an assembled crowd. You get the second letter correct, and the audience claps and cheers, shouting “BRAVO!!!” to you loudly and clearly. See them getting to their feet and notice the shape of their mouths as they shout “BRAVO!” over and over again.

C: Charlie
Charlie Sheen jumps up on stage and hands you some opera glasses so you can see (“C”) your audience better in the back rows. He hands them to you and now you can see (“C”) clearly and sharply. In the back row you can now see Prince Charles standing and clapping.

D: Delta
You fly home from Italy. We thought about pilots earlier. …The most prestigious job for a commercial pilot was always flying Concorde, the famous super-sonic passenger jet. Imagine the shape of its wings: Rather than looking like every other plane, the distinctive swept back “delta wing” configuration was an unmistakable design feature. Say the words “delta wing” three times out loud, and picture the plane in your mind: a bright white delta-winged jet racing through the sky.

E: Echo
You land and enter a giant spacious airport with a high roof. You shout the word “echo”, and you hear “Echooooo… Echooooo… Echooooo…” reverberate back from the walls. E. Echo.

F: Foxtrot
While leaving the airport you see a club and go inside. There’s music playing, and you find yourself dancing the foxtrot with a guy/girl dressed in a giant fox costume. See the bushy tail swishing around as you dance. F. Foxtrot. Your dance partner says they like sport, so you both head off to the golf club…

G: Golf
You’re driving a Volkswagen golf around a golf course, holding the golf club out the window and hitting golf balls as you drive past them at speed. You have to drive fast and finish the game quickly, because you don’t want to be late for your holiday in the gulf of Mexico. Golf.

H: Hotel
You arrive back at the airport and fly on to your holiday destination. First thing you do is check in to your hotel. The hotel comprises two giant high-rise towers, with a gantry connecting them half way up, so it forms the shape of a capital H. …Hotel.

I: India
Next destination on your tour is India. It’s hot, so you shelter by a tall straight tree. The trunk is like a tall letter “I”. You sit under the tree drinking Indian tea. Indiana Jones arrives and lends you his hat to keep the sun off your head.

J: Juliet
In the shade of the tree, you take out a book and start reading. It’s the complete works of Shakespeare. You begin with Romeo and Juliet. …Romeo will come in handy later by the way.

K: Kilo
The book starts to feel heavy. You weigh it in your hands, trying to judge how many kilos you’re holding. You put the book on some scales and see that it weighs exactly one kilo.

L: Lima
On to your next destination, Peru. You land in the capital city, Lima. There are no taxis, so you hitch a ride on a passing lama. It slowly walks down the road flanked by trees in which hundreds of lemurs sit and stare at you. L. Lima.

M: Mike (Mic)
Your lama ride ends at a Michael Jackson tribute concert. Someone dressed as Michael holds a microphone and sings one of MJ’s hits. Next to the stage is a scientific research centre. You look in the windows and see rows of scientists all looking through microscopes.

So, today we’ve started with A and reached M. Maybe find a friend, test each other, and have fun learning these… …and then don’t forget to come back on Monday for N to Z!

Some people believe that they do not have very good memories. Usually they are wrong…

One reason for this mistaken (but common) belief is that it’s practically impossible to think at once about everything you know. Nonetheless, in all likelihood, unless you are a new born baby or someone who has recently suffered massive head trauma, you probably have millions of distinct memories just a step away from your conscious mind. Accessing your memory though is not like pulling open a draw and looking inside. Instead, memories tend to require particular ‘triggers’ in order to be recalled.

So, how can we provide triggers? Well, here’s a little test you can do to see just how rich your brain is…

Look around you. What can you see? Without thinking too much (considering only the first thing which comes to mind), what do you think of when you look at, say, the items on your desk, or whatever is close to you right now? With each item, try to make two “hops”. First see what the item brings to mind, and then see what that associated thing in turns brings to mind next. You might surprise yourself with what comes up…

I tried it with an English friend just now. Interestingly, this guy believed that he didn’t have a very good memory…

On his desk, he could see a coffee cup. The first thing which came to his mind when he thought about this was a mug which he used to have when he was perhaps seven years old. It was mainly yellow, with the emblem of Watford football club. Although he was never a big fan of football, at school people were practically obliged nominally to support one team or another, and that was his. When he thought about this mug, and Watford football club, he remembered the Luther Blissett multiple name project, which came about after various activists and anonymous journalists around the world began to use the name ‘Luther Blissett’ as a kind of collective identity. (Luther Blissett was a footballer who transferred from Watford football club to AC Milan in 1983).

He could also see a laptop (on which he was typing to me). As he looked at it, he was reminded of a succession of computers he had owned over the years, right back to a Sinclair ZX Spectrum which he received for his 9th birthday. This in turn reminded him of telephoning his old childhood friend Philip and telling him that he’d discovered a new room in a giant house which formed the playing area of a Spectrum game called ‘Jet Set Willy II’. This was back when they had four digit phone numbers. Really, although he is only in his 30s, he could actually remember the time when his home phone number was ’7470′! …If I say that to a teenager today, he or she will probably assume that my friend was born in the 1920s!

Next up was a pool trophy sitting on his desk that he won in a tournament. The first thing this brought to his mind was the tournament itself. As he thought about being in the pool club though, he could picture the carpet, which just happened to be of the exact same design as that in the living room of the house in which he grew up. He could remember being about five years old, crawling around on that carpet playing with Lego.

All these memories turned out to be just a hop and a skip away from what was around him in that moment, all stored and waiting to be triggered.

What can you see in front of you? Take a couple of minutes to see which memories you can evoke in this way …and then see what memories those memories evoke. Have a friend try the same thing, and maybe compare memories. You will probably learn something more about your friend …and you might stumble over some fun memories of your own which you didn’t even realise were still there.

One of the best known things about memory is that it relies on the power of association; that is to say the power of the brain to make a connection between one memory and another.

Of all the senses, smell is said to be the most evocative. Smells come and go though. Visual associations on the other hand, while not always having such the same power to evoke memories as smells, do have at least one special advantage: You can picture something in your mind. …We often talk about imagining something in our mind’s eye, but when was the last time you came across someone talking about imagining something in his mind’s nose?

So, imagine that you want to remember a number. If you can associate numbers with colours, you can probably make the memory of a number stronger.

Take me: I’m a pool player. On a pool table, each ball has a different colour and number. So, the one is yellow, the two is blue, the three red, and so on…

If I have to remember a number, I know that I’ll help myself to do that by thinking of the colour or colours which go with that number, and visualising them as strongly and vibrantly as possible.

How about you? Perhaps you live at house number five and you have an orange front door? What number/colour associations exist in your life that can help you to make numbers stick in your head better?