記憶力不神祕：簡便5招提高你的記憶力！
1. Write about your problems
1. 寫下你的問題
To do complex tasks we rely on our 'working memory'. A more efficient working memory contributes to better learning, planning, reasoning and more. One way to increase working memory capacity indirectly is through expressive writing. You sit down for 20 minutes a few times a month and write about something traumatic that has happened to you. Yogo and Fujihara (2008) found that it improved working memory after 5 weeks.
在完成複雜工作的時候，我們要依靠的是我們的“工作記憶”。良好的學習、計劃和邏輯推理能力都是構成有效工作記憶的重要元素。 提高工作記憶的間接方式就是寫作。Yogo和Fujihara研究發現，如果你每個月花幾個20分鐘來寫下一些你遇到的關於外傷方面的東西的話，5周後你的工作記憶會有提高。
2. Look at a natural scene
2. 看看自然風景
Nature has a magical effect on us. One of nature's beneficial effects is improving memory. In one study people who walked around an arboretum did 20% better on a memory test than those who went for a walk around busy streets. In fact you don't even need to leave the house. Although the effects aren't as powerful, you can just look at pictures of nature and that also has a beneficial effect .
自然界對我們的影響是相當神奇的。自然界的一個神奇之處就在於它能幫我們提高記憶力。有研究發現在植物環境下的走路的人在測試中記憶效果比在繁忙街道上行走的人要好20%。要達到這種效果其實你連屋子都不用出。雖然這種效果沒有之前說的（在自然環境下行走）那麼好，但是看看自然風景的圖片對你的記憶力一樣是有作用的。
3. Say words aloud
3. 大聲讀出來
This is surely the easiest of all methods for improving memory: if you want to remember something in particular from a load of other things, just say it out loud. A study found memory improvements of 10% for words said out loud.
這算是提高記憶力方法中最簡單的一種：如果你想記住什麼，那麼大聲念出來就好。有研究顯示把要記的句子大聲讀出來能有效提高記憶力10%。
4. Meditate (a bit)
4. 稍稍思考一下
Meditation has been consistently found to improve cognitive functioning, including memory. In one recent study, participants who meditated only 20 minutes, once a day, saw boosts to their working memory and other cognitive functions (the study is described here, also see my beginner's guide to meditation).
研究發現思考有助於提高人類的認知能力，包括記憶力。最近一項研究發現每天花20分鐘來思考，他們的工作記憶和其他認知能力就會有提高。
5. Use your body to encode memories
5. 用肢體動作來幫助記憶
We don't just think with our minds, we also use our bodies. For example, research has shown that we understand language better if it's accompanied by gestures.
我們思考不僅僅是用腦子，還會用上我們的肢體動作。有研究顯示如果配上動作，我們能夠更好的理解語言。
We can also use gestures to encode memories. Researchers trying to teach Japanese verbs to English speakers found that gesturing while learning helped encode the memory (Kelly et al., 2009). Participants who used hand gestures which suggested the word were able to recall almost twice as many Japanese words a week later.
我們也可以用動作來給我們的記憶編碼。研究者試圖教說英語的人學會日語動詞的時候發現，動作能夠有效的幫助學習者記憶。用手部動作來幫助記憶的人在一週後的記憶效果是不用這種方法記憶的人的兩倍。
