Organization

I have always been a list person but I never thought that one day I would need them to remind me to do the basics each day…like brush my teeth and hair, shower, etc., but that’s how my life is now. I have lists all over the place and still sometimes end up trying to remember where I put a list.

Using a very helpful reminder App in my phone (seriously - at times with alarms set to remind me of where I put a list) has helped me stay a bit more organized. I use it as well to remind me to exercise, meditate and whatever else I need reminders for along this road. Calendar reminders for birthdays and anniversaries I still find to be a challenge as, early on, I have forgotten to send well wishes more often than I was comfortable with.

I would delete the reminder, sometimes believing that I wouldn't forget, other times thinking that I had already wished a happy whatever, only to realize after the fact that I got distracted and hadn’t actually sent anything. And, however unintentional it was, hurting anyone's feelings is what prompted me to start programming my reminders differently.

Now, three weeks ahead of time, my first reminder goes off. I edit and/or redo it so I am reminded every week up to the day of and I don't delete it until I am sure I have sent the greeting. It's not foolproof, nothing is, but it helps.

I do something similar with bill emails so none of our bills get overlooked. I only delete the email after I have paid AND recorded the online banking reference number in a separate computer file I keep. When having a pill box with the days of the week wasn’t enough for me to remember if I took medications or not, I created a file on my computer for that too. Thanks again to my husband who taught me decades ago how to use a computer!!

I listed all of my medications, vitamins, supplements and inhalers I take or use and when (am or pm) on a chart, but it wasn't long before I found myself forgetting to keep track in the file each day, or, by the time I got my laptop up and running I would forget why I wanted it on in the first place. There had to be a better way! I was online one day and a friend was looking to find where she could use a laminator for a project she was working on, and a light bulb went off for me. What if I printed off and laminated my medication chart?

I did a bit more research into where and how to laminate and how to make it reusable and now a chart hangs on our bathroom wall with a chalk marker nearby that I use to check each medication off when I take or use it. At the end of the week, I snap a photo and record the info in another computer file before I delete the pic and wipe the sheet clean, ready to be used again for another week.

It’s not a perfect solution - it always seems to be a work in progress - but it sure makes for less confusion and/or stress later in the day when I am unsure if I actually took meds or not. And, keeping this chart and the other files I created, do help keep me on track and can help when I have a flare up to look back and see if there is a pattern or if missing a dose, etc is a trigger for me or not.

I'll admit, I still have trouble remembering what day of the week it is or why a date seems important, but for as long as this all helps me feel less anxiety, stay more focused and centered, I'll keep doing it for as long as I'm able because every little bit helps with Fibro brain.

Until next time, stay safe and as pain free as possible.