Do this two or three times a week, and gradually your ability to block out distractions should improve. Talking to yourself as you do something can help focus your attention and make things easier to remember, Fogler says. If you talk your way through a problem, you'll reinforce the memory because you're using your senses as well as your mind. When you say something aloud, you're using your voice and hearing as well as your memory. Make the most of sounds and smells.
Memory depends on all of the senses.
So use them, says Danielle Lapp, a memory training specialist at Stanford University and author of Don't Forget . When you take a walk in an unfamiliar neighborhood, don't stop with noting the street names. Touch the fire hydrant at the corner. Write a short story. One way to remember a short list of items is to transform it into a story, Fogler says.