Struggling to remember things? Try this easy method to improve your memory.

First, imagine your “palace”: a place you know well, such as your own home. In your mind, walk a familiar route, for example from the front door to the bathroom. As you go, picture each item on your shopping list – eg. clingwrap and four bottles of milk – in a specific place.

The more startling, dramatic or even disturbing the images are, the better: try a film star jumping out of the kitchen cupboard in nothing but clingwrap, quadruplets spilling milk on the floor!

Later, when you’re doing your shopping, replay your mental walk. You should be able to “see” what you placed at each location. The more you practise, the better you’ll get.