Why story telling is good for memory

Are you a story teller? Or appreciate hearing a good story?

I myself would say I’m not a natural story teller…when it comes to comparing myself to someone who loves to engage an delight a group of people, at that social gathering say, sometimes taking the most simple of events and turning it into something wildly entertaining.

It is though, a skill I’d love to build - maybe just not quite to level persona wise.

Why this skill?

For a few reasons. But, one being - the positive effect story telling has for our memory.

The current memory book I have on the go is ‘Memory Craft’ by Lynne Kelly.

A simple sentence that particularly captured my attention:

‘Vivid lively stories make information more memorable’.

While I already knew this, I loved the use of the words ‘vivid and lively’.

It was also a nice reminder of the power of the story and memory connection.

Here are 3 key reasons for this power:

1. The more vivid or detailed the story, the more vivid and detailed the image is in our mind.

It’s the imagery that makes memories much stickier.

2. The more emotion (or liveliness) expressed in the story, the more we’ll feel that emotion.

It’s the emotional link that makes memories sticker.

3. In the case of being a story teller ourselves, not only can the above reasons apply, but it’s also a way of processing existing information we hold, reinforcing our memory - or again, making memories sticker!

So next time you hear a story or tell a story, ask yourself -

How vivid and lively is it?

Which stories do you recall later and which stories not so much?

Interesting in learning more about improving your memory with stories? Click the ‘book a chat’ button.