How To Remember a Word or Name You've Blanked on

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It's the most frustrating thing in the world: You're in the middle of a story and can't think of the word or name you need. Retrieve it fast with these tricks.

To complete this How-To you will need:

Hand gestures
Eye movements
The alphabet
The ability to forget

Step 1: Move or wave your hands. Canadian researchers have found that gesturing activates both the language and memory part of the brain, increasing your chances of remembering the word you're looking for.

Tip: Wave your hands while you're trying to memorize something. One study found that this makes you three times more likely to retain it.

Step 2: Move your eyes back and forth horizontally. It activates both the "spatial" right brain and the "logical" left brain, and together they can help you retrieve the lost word.

Step 3: Run through the alphabet in your head. When you come to the first letter of the word you're looking for, it often triggers your memory.

Step 4: Fuggedaboudit. In a British study, people who stopped searching for the right word were 30 percent more successful at remembering it than those who kept struggling. Trying too hard makes things worse by causing stress, which impairs memory.

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Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• HealthBeauty
• remembering
• memory
• jogging
• word
• name
• blanking
• retrieving
• information
• blank
• mind

[BrawlMasterROB]

I tried to do this, but I forgot most of the steps.

[Shawlia]

The worst is when you go to your friends house, and you forget their parent's names.

[kyuubiegi]

this video is....ughhh i forgot (rolls eyes back and forth) oh yes its fairly stupid

[folic4luv28]

I looked like a jackass when I tried this during a test..

[adamyoshi]

preske vu.

[LaughOutLoudKristina]

@Shawlia No, the worst is when you go to a store, and they ask what your parents name, forget it, and have a friend tell them. BTW this isn't me, it's a story my friend told me.

[UndertakerFan7695]

@caroou92 Yeah I just realized, I misread the comment. Sorry

[caroou92]

@UndertakerFan7695 you should multiply if it said "3 times AS likely". If it's 3 times MORE, it's 400%.

For example. If something's $10, if it's 50% as expensive, it will be $5. If it's 50% MORE expensive, it will be $15.

[UndertakerFan7695]

@hejjagedu ummm...no. you`re supposed to multiply not add

[shredderific1337]

stop 5 look like a retard...

[deedmyster]

i just say whatcha call it.... then i start thinking about the word

[TheGingerbear22]

I forgot a word and I started flapping my arms, shifting my eyes around, and singing the alphabet. Now my whole family thinks I'm crazy....