Using Spaces to Remember…

Human minds really are fascinating and the way they work means that using spaces in particular ways can help us remember things.

• When we’re working or just musing, we offload thoughts to the world around us. That means that we form mental links between thoughts we’re having and things we can see.  If we’re working in our home office trying to come up with an advertising slogan and while we’re working have some thoughts about the brand mascot that should speak that slogan, we’ll tie our thoughts about the mascot to something we’re looking at when we have them, for example, the painting of the purple cows that we can see from our desk chair.  When we look at that painting later as we work, thoughts of the mascot will spring top-of-mind.  All of which means when we go back to the same place that we originally had a thought odds go up that we can recreate it.
• When you’re working on a project, you should try to go back and sit in the same spot each time you do until its done—that way you won’t lose any of the work that your brain has done.
• Going back to the same spot where we originally learned material can help us get good scores on academic-type tests as well. You’ll do better on the final of your chemistry class if you take it in the same space where you heard class lectures.
• If you can’t go back to the same spot to take that final, make sure that the place where you are is as much like the original spot as possible, for example, smell the same sorts of things or listen to the same sorts of music, that it puts you in the same sort of mood—but for the best, most dependable results, return to the original space.

Need some new thoughts?  Leave wherever you’ve gotten stuck behind and start to think/work in a new spot.

Other memory-work aids:

• Blue-ish, cool-ish light
• Cooler surface colours (at least some studies say this is the case)
• Smelling the herbs rosemary (the best) or sage or peppermint
• Being in a well/appropriately ventilated space, one with good air quality
• Biophilic design (especially natural light and plants, see this article for more info on biophilic design, and search for “biophilic design” in our search bar top right, or create your own Space Doctors report by visiting this page and entering in “how to use Biophilic Design”)
• Going for a walk, outdoors or inside, so spaces for walking should be available to people whose memories will be put to the test.
• Naps! So areas to nap can be a real plus in a workplace, etc.