By Unlike short-term memory, which only stores fleeting data for a few moments, long-term memory allows you to retain memories and knowledge throughout your life. We teach you how to strengthen it.
Have you ever wondered why you can clearly remember an event from your childhood, but forget where you left your keys an hour ago? This is due to long-term memory, an incredible brain ability that makes it easy to store and retrieve data for a long time, and which is crucial for our daily lives.
Imagine living without remembering the most important moments in your life, such as your first day of school, the taste of your favorite food, or the face of a loved one. Through this memory, not only is practical information retained, but it also forms the basis of our personal identity and experiences. Let’s learn more about it below.
Definition and types of long-term memory
According to the definition of the American Psychological Association ‘s dictionary of psychology , long-term memory (LTM) is an information storage system that allows us to save and remember skills and knowledge for long periods, from a few hours to many years after learning them.
While short-term memorization involves retaining data temporarily, LTM helps information to be stored stably and recalled when needed. For example, remembering important events such as our graduation day or the name of an old friend are stored in this file.
It is important to note that there are two types of long-term memory : explicit and implicit. In the case of the former, we recall facts and events that we express verbally; it can be episodic (recalling a trip we took) or semantic (having general knowledge, for example, remembering that Paris is the capital of France).
On the other hand, through implicit or declarative memory we carry out tasks without consciously remembering how they are done. For example, riding a bicycle (procedural memory) or associating the sound of a bell with the arrival of food (conditioning).
How does this memory work?
If you have to bring to mind a series of numbers or words that you have never seen, you need to memorize them in the short term to handle this information temporarily. On the contrary, according to research from the e-CUCBA magazine , the MLP cannot do this on its own, since it needs four fundamental processes to function.
1. Coding
Unconscious encoding is the first step in the formation of long-term memories. This process involves transforming the information we perceive into a form that can be retained in memory. During encoding, information can be processed in different ways:
- Acoustics : This is based on sound or how words are heard (for example, remembering a melody).
- Visual: This is related to the formation of mental images (for example, remembering the appearance of a face).
- Semantics : involves the meaning of information and how it relates to what we already know (for example, understanding what a new word means).
2. Consolidation
Here, the encoded information is stabilized and converted into a long-lasting memory. This process can extend from a few hours to several days, and is key to ensuring that what was memorized in the short term is transferred to the long term. Consolidation involves the following changes in the brain:
- Role of sleep: Especially during deep sleep phases, memories are strengthened and reorganized, making them easier to store in the long term.
- Neural plasticity: refers to the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new neural connections, which is essential for consolidating memories.
3. Storage
Once encoded and consolidated, the information moves to storage, which is the process that makes relevant data available in the MLP.
During the storage stage, information is organized into networks of associations, and its durability can be influenced by repetition and sleep.
4. Recovery
This phase allows us to access long-term stored information when we need it. The storage context, emotional state, and associations can influence the ease of retrieving a memory. And such retrieval can be of two types:
- Spontaneous: occurs without conscious effort, when a memory arises naturally.
- Cued : This involves using contextual cues to help trigger the memory. For example, bringing a name to mind when seeing a person’s photo.
Strategies to improve long-term memory
If you want strategies to improve your long-term memory and strengthen your ability to retain and use information over time, follow these strategies.
1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Eat a balanced diet and eat foods rich in antioxidants, omega-3 , vitamins and minerals, such as fruits, vegetables, fish and nuts. These nutrients are essential for brain health.
A PLOS ONE study highlighted that having adequate sleep favors memory and the consolidation of memories. Therefore, make sure to sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night and maintain a regular rest routine.
Also keep in mind that physical exercise improves blood flow to the brain and encourages the formation of new neurons. So try to do aerobic activities, such as walking, running or swimming, at least 30 minutes a day.
2. Use effective coding techniques
Review the information you want to remember at increasing intervals to reinforce it in your memory. And relate new information to prior knowledge or create stories and visualizations to make the information more meaningful and easier to recall.
3. Practice active recovery
Try to recall information without looking up the answers by doing practice exercises. This strengthens your memory and makes it easier to access what you have stored in your head. Also, use cues or reminders to make it easier to access information. For example, associate information with images, keywords, or specific places.
4. Promotes neuronal plasticity and neurogenesis
By forming new connections between neurons ( neural plasticity ) and generating new ones ( neurogenesis ), we strengthen our ability to learn and memorize. Imagine that every time we learn something new we create a new path in a forest. The more we walk along that path, the clearer and more defined it becomes. Other examples? Learning a language or playing a musical instrument.
5. Develop healthy learning habits
Break down the information you want to remember into manageable chunks and set goals. Plan regular study sessions and avoid data overload. Also, find ways to make learning more engaging and relevant, such as linking the information to your personal interests and goals.
6. Manage stress and practice relaxation
Chronic stress and anxiety can impair long-term information consolidation because excess cortisol, the stress hormone, can damage the hippocampus, a key region for generating new memories.
Practice meditation, mindfulness, deep breathing , and yoga. These techniques help improve cognitive function and the ability to remember.
Don’t forget to spend time on activities that you enjoy and that allow you to relax. A balance between work and rest is important for good mental health.
7. Socialize and maintain cognitive stimulation
Engage in social activities and conversations that challenge your mind. Interaction and discussion of ideas help keep your brain active. Likewise, get your mind working and learn new things, whether through courses, books, hobbies or skills. Ongoing cognitive stimulation is key to a good memory.
And what factors affect it?
There are several reasons that influence the brain’s ability to store, consolidate and retrieve information. As we have already seen, lack of sleep and chronic stress are some of them. Also age and alcohol and drug use, as well as the factors mentioned below:
- Not paying attention: Long-term memorization begins with good concentration . If we don’t pay attention to information, we are less likely to encode it correctly and the data will be processed effectively.
- Neurological disorders and diseases: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurological disorders directly affect the areas of the brain responsible for memorizing. These can lead to progressive memory loss.
- Lack of repetition and practice: Repeating information helps to strengthen the neural connections that store the data. The more information is repeated and practiced, the stronger the trace in the LTM will be, making it easier to retrieve.
- Failures in meaning and understanding: Information that is meaningful or that we understand is processed more deeply, which promotes its storage in the LTM. Comprehension, in turn, helps form meaningful associations that facilitate recall.
- Emotional state: Intense emotions, both positive and negative, can strengthen the LTM. This is because the amygdala , a part of the brain involved in emotional response, also interacts with areas responsible for storing memories. For example, moments of great joy or fear are often remembered more clearly.
Long-term memorization is a skill that you cultivate in your daily life.
Although it may seem like a complex process, you can improve your long-term memory with simple strategies that you incorporate into your routine.
Don’t be discouraged, as you saw in the strategies in this article, with daily practice and consistency it is possible to strengthen this skill and enjoy the benefits of remembering and learning throughout your life.