Forming a Health Habit
Believing in the value of a glass of water taken before meals one person made a picture of a large glass of water covering a greater part of the dining table, and when coming to the table he saw himself spill the glass of water. It is essential to have two objects in the picture—one, the thing you wish to be reminded of doing; and the other, a familiar scene which you are going to see at the time. In this case, when the person sees the table, which is half of the picture, it brings back into consciousness the large glass of water. This reminds him of drinking the water before sitting down to the meal.
A lady had been forgetting to get a certain rug which had been put away in a dark closet, and which she feared might be injured by the moths if it was not taken out and used. As is often the case in such circumstances, she thought of this rug many times, but always when it was inconvenient to get it. She made a picture of the door of the closet in which the rug was stored and also of herself passing this door; the door flew open and the rug jumped out into the hall at her feet. Later, when she was passing, seeing the closet door it reminded her of the rug and she stopped, opened the door, took out the rug and thus attended to the matter which she had been forgetting.
A business man had been forgetting to telephone an associate. He made a picture of the desk in his office, and when he rolled up the top of the desk the friend jumped out and scared him. This picture was made in the library of his home in the evening. Next morning when he saw the desk the rest of the picture came back to his mind and he took up the telephone and attended to the matter.
These pictures may include more than one object, or even more than one errand. What the average memory needs is a hint to start it on the right track. A husband had been asked, when leaving the house, to order some groceries before going to the train to meet some friends. He made a picture, of his car standing where it would be when he was ready to leave the office, and over the whole car he spread a large beefsteak, on one end of the steak he saw a bag of sugar, on the other end he saw a bag of coffee, then he broke an egg over the whole, for these were the things which he was to order. When he came from his office, seeing the car, a part of the picture, it reminded him of the groceries, and he easily remembered the things wanted.
Pictures which are exaggerated, have strong motion, and are unusual or even startling, are best for this reminder idea. The pictures must be seen clearly in the mind's eye, and the part of the picture, which is used as the reminder, must be something which you will see clearly at the time you wish to do the thing. The illustrations given are from the actual experiences of busy men who are using this idea in their daily life.
This application of the visual memory can become invaluable to the child. In cases where the desired result has not been procured the difficulty, almost invariably, is a lack of vividness in seeing the place, person, or thing which is to act as the reminder. It must be familiar, definite, and clearly visualized. Practice will improve the results. Make an effort to see detailed and distinct objects in your pictures and use the strengthening elements. Here are a few additional examples of how children have used this idea. It works.
A child was sent to the grocery store for four items, and instead of carrying a list he made a picture of the counter in the store as his reminder. The items to be purchased were a sack of Salt, a bottle of Vinegar, some Fly Paper, and Potatoes. He pictured the Fly Paper sticking on the edge of the counter and on it balanced the sack of Salt and the bottle of Vinegar, then he saw himself throwing the Potatoes at them.
A picture of this kind will enable the child to remember a few items without difficulty. The Hitching Post idea which follows soon will be more accurate and enable him to extend the list to any length.
A boy, who often went away to school without bringing in his wood, made a picture of himself running out of the door to school, when slipping off the porch he sailed through the air and landed on the wood pile. The next morning, when he went out of the door and across the porch, his picture flashed into his mind and he stopped and brought in some wood before leaving.
A girl had formed the habit of throwing the towel on the chair instead of hanging it up. She made a picture of herself throwing down the towel when it became entangled in her feet and tripped her up as she walked away, throwing her headlong.
Reminder pictures of this kind must be visualized by the child, even if suggested by the parent. Do this pleasantly and even playfully, being careful not to arouse the antagonism of the child. If he is stubborn in the matter you can gain nothing, unless you secure his co-operation and pleasant interest. To keep these pictures in mind and to use them at every opportunity will aid in forming correct habits. Make them startling and interesting, and when possible, put real feeling into them. Induce the child to feel the pain of his fall; feelings give life and power to visualized pictures.
A boy was told to stop at a neighbor's and deliver a note for his mother on his way to school. He pictured the front gate of this neighbor's fence swinging out and stopping him. He tried to go over the gate and the more he climbed, the higher it became. Seeing the gate as he passed on his way to school reminded him of the note.
A tablet was needed at school and had been forgotten several times. A picture of the tablet barring the door of his home, so that he could not get in, reminded the boy to go at once to the store and make the purchase.
On her way to church a girl was given a message to deliver to a certain lady, after the service. She pictured herself trying to get out of the door of the church, but the lady blocked the way refusing to allow her to crowd through. When she started out, seeing the door, which was part of the picture, it reminded her of the lady, and she delivered her message.