Are You Forgetful? 10 Simple Memory Strategies

Are you forgetful? Here are 10 of my favorite memory strategies. 

 You don’t need to use them all.  Just try a few and see what you like.

1.  Do you have a tendency to misplace your keys or your wallet?  If you’re like most of us, you do!  Try setting up a table, a shelf, or some other “landing place” near your front door. Every time you walk in the house, put your keys, your glasses, your wallet and whatever else you tend to take with you the next day and put them on the table or shelf. You’ll eventually get used to putting your things in one designated place and will do it automatically!  That way you don’t run risk of forgetting where things are when it’s time to go.

2.  Use a day planner that you can take with you. This seems so obvious, but many people don’t utilize this simple and efficient tool.  Update your calendar as you go through the day by adding appointments or writing notes to yourself.  If you don’t like carrying a notebook, learn to use the calendar function on your smart phone.

3.  Focus on one activity at a time.   Doing too many things at once makes it difficult to pay attention to any of it.  Attention is an important step in remembering – if you can’t pay attention to something, you are not going to remember it later.  If you’re working on a large project that can’t be easily finished, try breaking it down into small, manageable steps and finish each one in sequence.  Don’t forget to write the steps down so you can remember where you left off!

4.  Find a wall in the kitchen or the study where you can hang a bulletin board.  Keep a large calendar on the board to keep track of everyone’s appointments, birthdays, etc.  If you have a bill to pay, tack it to the bulletin board. You can write notes to yourself or pin appointment reminders to the board as well.  By keeping important information in one place, you reduce the risk of forgetting something.

If you have trouble remembering the date, cultivate the habit of crossing each date off before you go to bed.

5.  Do you have trouble remembering birthdays and anniversaries?  If so, you might consider buying a perpetual calendar. A perpetual calendar has the months and dates without the days of the week or the year. You don’t use it to keep track of appointments – you use it for events that occur on the same date every year, such as a birthday or anniversary.  This keeps you from having to write every important date into your calendar year after year.

Buy cards and stamps in advance so you always have them on hand and ready to go into the mail.

6.  Keep a list of things you need when you leave the house. This might include keys, your glasses, a wallet or purse, medications, cell phone, etc. Keep the list on your bulletin board or by your front door and check it before you leave the house.  You may also want to keep a tote bag that you take with you routinely.  Keep these items in the bag or close by to help you remember to take them along.

7.  When you put something on the stove or in the oven, set a timer to help you remember it’s there.  This can help prevent kitchen fires and keep you (and your food) safe!

A timer can also help you remember when to start getting ready to leave the house. For instance, if you have a doctor’s appointment at 10 and need to leave the house at 9, set the timer for 8 to remind you when you need to start getting ready.

8.  When you’re writing out your grocery list, group similar items together so you can find them easily in the store. For instance, most of the dairy products are kept in one part of the store, so list milk, cheese, eggs etc. together. Check them off your list as you go through the store so you don’t forget anything.

9.  Use Post-It notes.  When you’ve completed the item on the note, put it in the recycling.  This prevents you from getting confused by a long to do list.  I love Post-It notes and find it most helpful to stick a note to myself on the bathroom mirror where I am not likely to miss it.

10.  Keep it simple.  If your routines are too complicated, you are more likely to forget what you’re doing or where you’ve left something. Simplify your life.  Your brain will be glad you did!

We live in a fast paced society with information being thrown at us from every possible direction. Being forgetful doesn't necessarily mean you have Alzheimer's or dementia. You may be overwhelmed or under a lot of stress. By utilizing memory strategies, you can ease your stress level and simplify your daily routines.  Try it. You just might like it!

Do you have any favorite memory strategies?  If so, I’d like to hear about them.