How does your memory work?

Several of you have asked about how our memories are stored, LittleSolarSystem on YouTube asked ‘Why does our brain store memory separately into long-term and short-term memories?’

Our friends at Freedem Living have lent us this short film to explain just how memory works.

When you need to recall a memory, the brain calls on your memory network. The hippocampus and other parts of your brain work together to rebuild that memory. To remember something your brain goes through the following process:

First your brain consciously registers the memory, this is called encoding.

Next, the brain must consolidate the memory.

The last step is called retrieval.

The best way to improve your memory is to keep remembering the same thing, over and over. This strengthens the neural pathway to the memory. There are other things you can do to improve your memory; get a regular sleep pattern, eat a balanced diet, and exercise often. Oh and keep your brain active, this will actually increase the physical size of your brain.