Below, let’s take a closer look at each of the stages of memory.

This mental representation can be in the form of a picture, a sound, or a feeling.

Overall, memory is a complex process that involves several different stages.

person writing in an agenda book

Zero Creatives / Getty Images

By understanding how each stage works, you could better understand how our memory works as a whole.

First, pay attention to what you want to remember.

This will help with encoding.

Second, have a go at create a mental image of what you want to remember.

This will help with storage in your long-term memory.

Finally, practice retrieval by testing yourself on what you want to remember.

This will help strengthen the connections between the information in your long-term memory and your retrieval process.

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