Memories are slippery little suckers — here one minute, AWOL the next.
These tips will help make sure yours will be there for you, even when your nerves are jangled.
Names
Few things are more embarrassing than drawing a blank on someone's name. To make monikers stick in your brain, "try linking the person's name with a physical trait — the more outrageous the better," says Eran Katz, author of "Where Did Noah Park the Ark? Ancient Memory Techniques for Remembering Practically Everything."
For example, when you meet a Beth who has big breasts, think of her as "Beth with the Boobs."
By connecting her name with something noteworthy about her, you strengthen the neural path your brain uses to retrieve the info.
Lists
To remember tasks and items on a list when you don't want to write them down, link them to your body before heading out, suggests Katz.
If you need to pick up milk, eggs and bread at the grocery store, imagine spilling milk on your toes, breaking eggs on your knees, and laying your head on a loaf of bread.
When you get to the supermarket, go over your body parts, starting with your toes. Sounds bizarre, but creating associations like this encourages elaborate memory encoding in your brain, which helps build up the path for much easier retrieval.
Passwords
It's smart to pick a different security password for each website, but not if you can't remember them.
Try this: Create passwords that are related to the specific sites. If your credit card makes you think of shoes, how about a password like Louboutin?
If you need one that combines letters and numbers, invent a sentence that involves a milestone in your life, says Karen Dolby, author of "You Must Remember This." For instance: "I graduated from Penn State in '02" becomes IGFPSI02.
Memories with context are more likely to stick.
The optimal level of stress
Somewhere between mellow and meltdown is an anxiety sweet spot that sharpens memory. Find yours.
Research shows that, for women, acute stress can enhance memory.
"But we don't want you to say, 'Stress is good, so I should seek it out,'" says Zhen Yan, Ph.D. "To boost memory, stress needs to be at some kind of an optimal level." And that optimal level is different for each woman.
So how do you go about sussing out your stress sweet spot? The answer will require some sleuthing.
Keep in mind the inverted U function, in which memory sharpens as stress piles up until it reaches an in-the-zone peak before traveling downhill. That's the balance you need to gauge for yourself.
"If you are giving a speech and can still do it even when you're having major symptoms — like nausea and loss of appetite — then that's encouraging, and the anxiety should lessen with practice," says Margaret Altemus, M.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. "But if you're trying to manage multiple tasks at once, such as filling out a form online, giving directions over the phone, and talking to a child, this amount of distraction is stressful and will likely impair your memory. The sweet spot is an optimal level of alertness, without feeling overwhelmed or anxious. That's the rule to use in finding your stress balance: Look to see if the stress is impairing your functioning, including your job performance and your ability to enjoy life. If it is, try to reduce the stress with lifestyle changes, and if necessary, psychodynamic or cognitive behavioral therapy, or lastly, taking psychiatric medication."
The great news, she says, is that with this kind of help, the intensity of perceived stress can be reduced.
"I wouldn't advise people to avoid stressful situations because they are worried about their memory performance," she says. "These situations provide an opportunity to find better ways to cope."
More from Women's Health:
6 Stress-Relieving Strategies5-Minute Quick Health FixesHow to Recognize Your Body’s Stress SignsBreathe Right for Better Health