APU Careers & Learning

Use the Doorway as a Memory Igniter

Have you ever walked through a door with no recollection of your purpose beforehand? Say you have a great idea, or finally came up with the argument for your paper, you walk out of your office to the kitchen, then the idea is gone? It’s because as we move from space to space the mind tends to categorize these movements, especially if you’re walking through a doorway. You basically refreshed your brain after you left the room. When you walk back through that same space you recall that information.

This “location updating effect” can be a pain to deal with. Now with more prevalent research available about the phenomenon there are ways to combat it, or embrace it.

Try walking back through the same space to collect your thoughts, or better yet write them down before you leave. Don’t let your subconscious get the better of you. By adopting this technique you can potentially unlock new ways of absorbing information. Use one room for science, another for writing, and another solely for research. Establish your own boundaries, and use the doorways as vaults for holding valuable information.

By J. Mason
Online Career Tips Editor

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