Are you stressed up by exams or by task lists that you have to remember quickly? Your visual memory may need a boost. An efficient visual memory will speed up tasks tremendously, and you will be relieved that you can train yours with simple exercises at home.
What Is Visual Memory?
Very simply, it is the relationship between what we see, and the resulting storage, retrieval, and, encoding that takes place in our brains. It refers to the ability to process perceptions when the stimuli needed to trigger them are no longer present.
Our visual memory can span a broad range, from what we saw seconds ago to what we saw years earlier in a previous location. It preserves the knowledge captured by our senses. With its help, we can retain information about the resemblance of objects, animals, or people. Visual memory is one of our many cognitive systems that integrate to form our memories. It also refers to the ability to organize the information we perceive.
Why visual perception is essential
Our visual memories are necessary for writing and reading. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to produce visual stimuli sequences, such as words for reading and spelling. Kids with poor visual recognition are seldom able to configure words or sentences because they cannot recall the series of letters in a word. They cannot develop sight vocabulary as a result.
To add, kids with memory deficits cannot perform handwritten or copywritten tasks because they have trouble copying words and sentences. A kid will find it hard to produce work on worksheets and other written assignments. Researchers have also discovered that poor visual perception affects performance in mathematical tasks.
How to Develop Your Visual Processing Skills with These 8 Fun Exercises
If you struggle to remember simple tasks like remembering phone numbers, we have ready solutions. These simple activities can help you improve your visual memory, and research has proven time and again that it is possible to stimulate it.
1. Form associations and patterns
This first strategy is useful for remembering numbers in a series. Everyone has numbers that mean a lot to them – they may represent anniversaries or birthdays. When trying to remember the number 5617, make an association between the number and something that’s meaningful to you. Perhaps a friend of yours is 56 years old while your daughter is 17.
If you struggle to form associations with numbers that mean nothing to you, try typing them into the Google search engine. Suppose you have to remember a new code, 30204. Type it into the Google search bar. Perhaps a list of websites with 2004 will come up. Then figure out how to tie it to the first part of the number, 30. Your sister may have turned 30 in 2004. And that’s it! you’ve formed an association.
2. Imagine the shapes the numbers make
When recalling a number series, try imagining the shape that they make on a keypad. People use this technique to remember numeric passwords, phone pins, or credit card numbers.
3. Doodling
Sketching will help you if you find it difficult to remember faces or places. It’s best to draw while they are fresh in your mind. Suppose you’ve just been to a place and are trying to recall everything about it. Visualize it and doodle your vision. Form associations by imagining what it would be like if it had certain objects. It is a fun way to build recall and working memory.
4. Explain concepts to yourself
When trying to understand a new concept, explain it to yourself. Let’s say that you’re an accounting student who has just learned how to balance ledgers. Apply the skill with a new set of figures and items. You may even put it to use with your expenses and earnings.
5. Note-taking
People record notes during classes because it helps them retain information. The notes enable them to visualize concepts. Read actively by asking questions about the material.
6. Break it down
Your visual memory will become overwhelmed if you try to remember a large chunk of data at once. Break it down into bite sizes. For example, it’s easier to remember a few numbers than many of them. When trying to memorize a number series, try to recall a few digits instead of all of them at once.
7. Card Games
Games like Uno or Go Fish present opportunities for family fun. They also develop the memory because you have to recall the cards already played.
8. Rely on all the senses
When trying to recall an experience, think about what you’ve heard or smelt. Try to remember what you’ve touched as well. Then, form the connections between these details. Doing all this will make experiences memorable and develop your visual recollection as well.
In a nutshell, your visual memory is the key to your success. Trigger it with these activities.
