Remembering to do

Tips for Remembering to do Something

• Leave a “prompt” near the front door so that you can not help but see it when you leave the house. If you always look in the hall mirror before you leave, stick a note to the mirror or write a message with lipstick to remind yourself of things you have to do.
• Some people find they remember to do something if they have an unusual reminder in their view most of the time, such as a watch on the wrong wrist or a rubber band wrapped around their finger.
• Use a watch, electronic organiser or portable computer with an alarm function to remember to do things like take tablets regularly. Many now come with a function where you can enter reminder messages that display when the alarm goes off.
• Use pill boxes with days of the week written on them to help you remember to take tablets regularly.
• You could use a white drywipe board or black board to remember things that have to be done. You could divide the board into sections e.g. things to buy, people to ring. You could write down messages in black and circle in red those which are important.
• You could put something such as your watch or pillow in an unusual position near you bed or pull out a bedside draw, so when you wake up you realise there is something you must remember. Attend to this as soon as you are up, else you may forget in the morning rush.
• Keep a pen and paper handy at your bedside in case during the night you suddenly think of something important you have to do.
• Keeping a diary or wall calendar is an obvious help but remember to check regularly that you have entered in things you have to do and crossed out the things you have done. Try and write in birthdays and anniversaries at the beginning of the year
• Use Post-It notes, strips of masking tape, a notebook or the back of a chequebook for writing reminders is something that most people find useful.
• To remember to take tablets, do it after something you regularly do, like brushing you teeth in the morning or watching a TV show at night etc., or keep the tablets near your toothbrush or television to jog your memory.
• Get in the habit of doing things immediately rather than later.
• People often forget whether or not they have already done a particular job; such as shutting a window, turning off an oven or light. One thing that helps is to say aloud what you are doing at the time. For example, when you are turning the light off, say to yourself “that’s the light out.”