Are there some tasks that you do so automatically you often forget whether or not you’ve actually done it that day—for instance, taking a daily medication, feeding the dog or turning off the oven? You’ll be able to remember more easily when you pat your head, spin around, jump in the air, knock three times on the counter or do another out-of-the-ordinary act as you do the task, according to a new study out of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Doing an unusual physical movement shakes us out of our auto-pilot mode, helping us pay more attention to what we’re doing, explains lead study author Mark McDaniel, Ph.D.
[photo: squeezyboy]
