I guess its a natural part of aging to become more forgetful. l have come across seven useful tips to help us all remember.

The first tip is to WRITE IT DOWN. I have to do this so I don’t forget the important things, like picking up my prescription before going out of town! Experts say the act of writing it down helps us to remember. I write lists on my notes app on my iPhone. I also write things on my calendar.

The second tip is to REPEAT IT TO YOURSELF. I think I do this subconsciously all the time! If I don’t write it down, though, I will still forget it.

The third tip is to POST NOTES. Well, that goes along with writing it down, doesn’t it? This one means like put notes n something you can see and where you can see it. For example, on your bathroom mirror, or your laptop.

Tip number four is to LAY THINGS OUT TO REMIND YOU. This could be like clothes the night before, or coupons on top of your grocery list. I need to do that more often, I always forget my coupons! Dave sets the bills on top of the desk so he won’t forget which ones need to be paid.

The fifth tip is to WORK ON ORGANIZATION. If you are not an organized person, you might want to start small and get a planner to organize all of your appointments, then pick up another habit when you get used to the first one. I use several calendars to help me and still have to take notes! For me, the simple act of straightening my closet makes me feel more in control and more organized.

Number six is to BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT REMEMBERING. Just tell yourself it is important that you remember whatever it is. That way, you can separate in your mind what is trivial from what is important. Like me, knowing we are leaving on our trip tomorrow, I have said to myself all day, what needs to be packed, what errands I need to run, etc.

Lastly, we all need to do this one: KEEP YOUR BRAIN SHARP! I do this by playing word games, Spanish lessons, taking classes, and doing puzzles. I have hobbies. All of these things help us keep our brains sharp. It’s like exercise for our muscles and keeping them in shape helps us remember more.

I hope these tips will be helpful for you! It isn’t foolproof, but maybe we will remember more if we practice all these tips on a daily basis!