1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to actively cultivate a memory. We are 4 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: always making memories, but some memories are stronger than others. 5 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: You can bring a memory to mind more frequently by 6 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: consciously choosing something to associate with it so you can 7 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:40,479 Speaker 1: think about it later whenever you want. I find the 8 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: topic of memory fascinating. Certain smells in particular can become 9 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: associated with particular times. One scent of honeysuckle and I 10 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: think about a honeysuckle perfume that I had in high school. 11 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: Maybe you remember the cologne your grandfather wore and you 12 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: think of him whenever you smell it, Or the smell 13 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: of cinnamon brings to mind your grandmother's house. Music can 14 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: bring up memories, too, reaching certain spots in our brains 15 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: quickly where we remember exactly what we associate the music with. 16 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 1: That one song will forever conjure up your first love, 17 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: even if that relationship is long in the past. Memories 18 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,760 Speaker 1: make life feel more rich and full. So here's a 19 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: tip for making memories even stronger. Whenever you are going 20 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: into something that you know you are going to want 21 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: to remember, Try to build that association. Choose a scent 22 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 1: or a song to associate with the time, make sure 23 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: you experience that scent or song frequently. Then for the 24 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: rest of your life, if you wish to conjure up 25 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: that memory, you will have a shortcut to the emotional experience. So, 26 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: for instance, in May, I traveled to Indiana to give 27 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: the commencement address at my old high school. I have 28 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:17,519 Speaker 1: lots of strong memories from my time at this residential 29 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: school in Muncy, Indiana, but it's not like I go 30 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 1: back frequently now. May was also when Ed Sheeran's sung 31 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: Castle on the Hill was rising up the charts and 32 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 1: was being played on the radio all the time. It 33 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: turns out to be a song full of nostalgia for 34 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: going back to the place you are from. So I 35 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: made a point of listening to that song as I 36 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: was traveling to Indiana and walking around those haunts that 37 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,359 Speaker 1: had been a part of my life two decades prior. 38 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 1: That meant I linked that song with that place, and 39 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 1: now whenever I hear those opening chords, I am back 40 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: there and reliving that time and linking myself to my 41 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 1: teenage self, even though that song didn't exist when I 42 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 1: was a teenager because ed Shearon was a child back 43 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: then when I was actually in high school. Same with 44 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:22,559 Speaker 1: this wonderful orange shampoo smell. My family traveled to Yosemite 45 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: National Park and all around California in the summer of 46 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:30,399 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen. It was a wonderful trip full of memories, 47 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: and our hotel in the park had this orange scented soap. 48 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: I made sure to take several of the small travel 49 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: sizes home, and sure enough, when I pull it out, 50 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: I can picture the cliffs and the gorgeous landscape and 51 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: the towering trees of Mariposa Grove. As the world slowly 52 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: emerges from the pandemic, many of us are traveling for 53 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: the first time in a while, so we if you 54 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: have an upcoming trip that you would really like to remember, 55 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: see if you can consciously form a memory while you 56 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: were on the trip. Choose a song that you would 57 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: like to associate with the time, or choose a scent 58 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 1: that you can associate with it. Make sure you experience 59 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: that song or scent as frequently as possible as you 60 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 1: are making the memory. Then make sure you have some 61 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 1: sort of artifact so you can call the memory back up. 62 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 1: The song idea is pretty obvious. You just play the song, 63 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 1: but sense are going to require something else, So buy 64 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: a souvenir candle or soaps, or maybe start using a 65 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: new perfume or cologne that you can then associate with 66 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 1: the trip whenever you sprits it in the future. When 67 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: you do this, you will be able to access your 68 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: happy memories more quickly. Obviously, you will have memories of 69 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: your trip or your adventure regardless of what you do, 70 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: but this is one way to make them stick even more, 71 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 1: and in our busy brains, that can be a good thing. Indeed, 72 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 1: in the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 73 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 74 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 75 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 76 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod 77 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: that's b E the number four then Breakfast p o D. 78 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 79 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,799 Speaker 1: podcast at i heeart media dot com that Before Breakfast 80 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much, 81 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 1: I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is 82 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from 83 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 84 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.