We may not all be Marilu Henner (who has highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM) and can remember the specific details of her everyday life since she was a small child,) but we can find ways to slowly strengthen our memory, no matter our age. There are loads of things in the world that have been designed to help you with your memory, for example you could use something like this Candida Diet to help you with your memory loss. That’s not the only thing you could use, and if you keep on reading I will happily tell you my way of strengthening your memory.
Henner (incidentally a vegan for many decades) even wrote a book about it;
But if you are trying to make some small changes, Alice Inoue can help;
Ah…memory retention! Certain environmental things can be done to optimize learning and information absorption. The tips I share in this article are not only excellent for learning environments, but can also be used in your home office to support greater productivity.
A short story about my memory;
First, since we are on the subject of memory retention, I would like to share something you may find interesting. For decades, I noticed that I had difficulty remembering people after meeting them. Even when I interacted with them for hours or saw them multiple times at my office, I would not recognize them when I ran into them on the street. I always assumed that I was just “bad with faces,” or had memory overload due to all that was happening in my life, or that I encounter an above average number of people on a day-to-day basis.
Recently though, I found out that I have a not very well-known dysfunction called “prosopagnosia,” or face blindness, the inability to recognize faces. My case is not severe. I can easily recognize those I see on a regular basis but am unable to recognize others with whom I have spent only a few hours or see only once in a while.
I was relieved to have an explanation after all these years, and I’m sharing it because if you are a client that I have physically met but whom I seem not to recognize on the street, stop me if I walk past you, and, when you do stop me, tell me your name and mention how I know you. My memory otherwise is intact!
Tips for absorbing and retaining information
Unfortunately, no amount of feng shui can help me with my prosopagnosia, but I can use feng shui to enhance my study and work area and maximize the energy for absorbing and retaining information. Follow these tips to build a physical foundation for retention:
Tip #1: Check your positioning.
If at all possible, position yourself in the corner of your room, farthest from the entrance with a solid wall to your back, giving you the greatest command of your space. You want to be able to see the entire room from your desk. If this is not possible, at the very least, sit facing the entrance, and if that is not feasible, place a mirror on the desk so that you can see behind you.
Tip #2: Make sure you have good lighting.
Although this may seem like common sense, one of the classic rules in feng shui is to have proper and appropriate lighting. You can use two lamps for optimum brightness, but ensure that the light is gentle on your eyes, so avoid fluorescents whenever possible. If you must use fluorescent lighting, use an incandescent lamp simultaneously to counter the harshness.
Tip #3: Neaten your work and study area
Disorganization causes stress and impedes learning, but a tidy work area fosters a sense of order, enhances concentration, brings good energy, and aids in de-stressing. So remove all unnecessary and distracting items before you start working, keeping 50% of your desk visible at all times.
Tip #4: Do not work under overhanging shelves
In feng shui, shelving directly over your desk symbolizes burdens hanging over your head and can also represent headaches, which, of course, you want to avoid at all costs.
Tip #5: Use metal elements in your study area
Metal is an excellent element for a study area, bringing the qualities of clarity, efficiency, and precision. To help maintain focus, use metal accessories such as pens, lamps, pencil holders, even a metal clock, but using a metal desk can result in metal overload, creating a cold and uninviting environment.
Tip #6: Use hematite for grounding
If you are the type who likes to have stones or something “lucky” in your work environment, hematite, considered a metal element because of its shiny surface, will help you concentrate and ground your energy.
Tip # 7: Use bamboo for concentration and positive energy flow
Decorative bamboo on your desk helps you stay focused and fosters positive energy flow, and entwined fronds energetically enhance information retention. For positive energy flow, the more stalks the better. Base the number of stalks you use on what you want to achieve. One stalk means simplicity and a meaningful life; two stalks mean love; three stalks mean wealth, happiness, and long life, or longevity. (The word for four in Chinese is similar to death, so using four stalks is considered rude and unlucky.) Five stalks mean wealth in all four bodies, physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Six stalks mean peace, harmony, and good luck; seven stalks mean good health; eight stalks mean growth and prosperity; nine stalks mean great luck, or good fortune, and ten stalks mean perfection or wholeness. Twenty-one stalks mean blessings.
Whether you apply one or all of these tips to your work or study space, you will help to create the best possible environment for concentration, memory retention, productivity, and energy flow. Now, if I can only figure out a way to help me remember faces!
Alice Inoue is a life guide at Alice Inoue Life Guidance, LLC, a company committed to assisting people in living empowered lives. Alice shares her wisdom as a professional speaker and personal consultant and offers a series of instructional DVD’s on feng shui, as well as her award-winning books on feng shui, happiness and spiritual life wisdom.