Everyone's memory works differently. Some people have photographic memories that can remember something for a long time after seeing it once. Others can study over and over and retain information. Many of us rely on to-lists and notes to refer back to when needing a refresh. And of course people navigating work during or after cancer treatment may feel brain-fog (also known as "chemo brain") which could make remembering things more challenging. To help with that, I wanted to share the Chunking Method.
Described in an article from Indeed, "The chunking technique is a memorization method that begins with distilling large pieces of information into smaller pieces or chunks." A great example of this is a telephone number. Remembering 10 digits can be tricky, but breaking it down into area code, first three and final four helps your brain categorize and remember the ten digits easier than trying to commit all ten to memory at once.
There are seven main tips to mastering the Chunking Method which are:
- Prioritize key information
- Identify similarities
- Find links and make associations
- Create acronyms
- Include visuals
- Use mind mapping
- Repeat the process
For more on managing brain fog in the workplace click here.