Forgetting people’s names or misplacing your sunnies is exasperating, but there are many ways to fend off these memory lapses, says Janet Wiles, professor of complex and intelligence systems at the University of Queensland.

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN
Getting a better memory is like getting a better figure – you need to avoid stress, get a good night’s sleep and hit the gym. But as well as working out your body, you need to exercise your mind. “In the memory region of your brain, new cells come online every day of your life,” Wiles explains. “While getting regular physical exercise will give you more of them, if you don’t do any mental exercise, they die.” Try crosswords, learning a new language or reading beyond your usual areas of interest. “Anything that a person enjoys or wants to learn will help improve their memory,” Wiles says.

REMEMBERING NAMES
Bumped into someone and blanked on their name? First, don’t panic. They’ve probably forgotten yours, too. Wiles suggests you ask yourself what you know about them, or run through the alphabet to help recognise the sound of their name. In the case of an upcoming event, practice the day before. “Bring the person to mind, think what their job is or when you saw them last,” she says. “This technology primes your brain, so when you see them, their name will surface more easily.”

MISPLACED ITEMS
“Take time to focus on what you’re doing when you’re doing it,” says Wiles. “Tell yourself, ‘I’m putting my sunglasses on the bench,’ and spend a second looking at them to give your brain extra recall cues.”

LIGHTEN THE LOAD
Don’t scoff at using lists and notes to help remember birthdays or grocery items. “List-making will not make your memory worse,” says Wiles, “It will help you focus on the items and fix them in your brain. A lot of people find if they write a list and leave it at home, they can recall things better than if they didn’t write it at all.”

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