Improving memory is actually very simple.

First, forgetting is a very natural phenomenon, so there’s no need to worry too much. Columbia University professor Scott Small says the brain actively weakens parts of memories to help clear outdated or useless information—this is called the theory of active forgetting.

In addition, scholars at Yale University propose a clue overload theory: the more information a single clue is connected to, the harder it is to accurately find a specific memory. So, to improve memory, you need to treat the root cause—reduce interference between information, and give knowledge clear “locations” and unique retrieval cues.

You can start with six things.

First, add different cues to knowledge that’s hard to remember. Don’t keep staring at the same material. Instead, switch to public lectures, documentaries, images, or other books. Different speakers, visuals, and scenarios can all create new retrieval entry points for the same piece of knowledge.

Second, group similar knowledge together for horizontal comparison. Identify their commonalities first, then clarify their differences. This is easier for forming connections than memorizing each topic separately, and it also reduces confusion with one another during recall.

Third, build an overall framework first, then remember specific details. When learning history, you can first organize a timeline. When entering a new field, you can first grasp the main categories and background, and then place people, years, and concepts into it.

Fourth, when learning new knowledge, review related old knowledge at the same time. Put the new and old content side by side to compare, clarify their relationship and differences, and reduce mutual interference between similar information during retrieval.

Fifth, when you need to process or recall a large amount of information at once, prioritize consolidating content you’ve already learned. Don’t cram in a lot of entirely unfamiliar knowledge at the same time; otherwise, new and old information can easily interfere with each other, and even the parts you previously mastered may become blurred.

Sixth, don’t keep telling yourself that your memory is bad. The research cited in the materials found that when a person is told they aren’t good at a certain kind of task, their actual performance may decline as well. Confidence, emotions, and psychological pressure can all affect memory and retrieval ability.