Is there a cure for forgetfulness?

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Nuruns

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I’ve been at my job for a while now and now and then I STILL make the same ‘mistakes of forgetfulness’ that I made when I first starting working there. Nobody else makes those mistakes including people who have been there for a shorter time than me. Telling your boss ‘I forgot’ is just pitiful and embarrassing and never a good excuse, yet I think it’s almost impossible to control. If you forget, you forget. I sometimes wonder if it’s even a mental problem, I’m never rested and I don’t eat well. Maybe there’s some vitamins I should be taking.
Would love some thoughts or advice.😦
 
Nuruns said:
I’m never rested and I don’t eat well.
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Nuruns, resting and eating are really crucial to us in our daily activies. When I am skipping at lunch at work, I find myself difficult to think /solve problems. About 2 years ago, I slept about 4 hours per day and it was really bad to my memory. A person should sleep 7-8 hours per day.

Do you know the reason why you could not rest? Do you worry about things a lot when you are in bed? I remember I was thinking all kinds of things and that was the reason it kept me up late at night. Until one day, I started to put that worries to God and trust in His care, I get many good sleep at night.

How about eating? Maybe you change a bit to your food, it might help boost your appatite?

You can also go see your family doctor to get some good advices too.
 
I use Post-It notes. And lists. And I have two calendars set up on my computer: one for general use, one for work projects. And in my lab, I write everything in my notebook, keep it well organized, and make labels for everything. Sure, I do a lot of writing on these media. Sure, my desk looks kinda silly when it’s covered in Post-Its. But I rarely forget things now, so I’m keeping my system.
 
Nuruns said:
I’m never rested and I don’t eat well. Maybe there’s some vitamins I should be taking.
Would love some thoughts or advice.😦
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Before adding vitamins, try getting enough rest and eating well. Vitamins are great, but they cannot replace a balanced diet and sleep.
Try adding food with healthy Omega fats to your diet (salmon, walnuts…just google for more info) because those healthy fats build the brain.
It is important to determine why you are not well rested and fix the problem before popping vitamins to “fix” your forgetfullness.
Equally important, you need to discuss this with a good doctor. There are many reasons for forgetfullness (from the very simple to very serious).
Malia
 
Been there, done that. When I was ten and got to talking, my mom would laugh as she watched me put clean glasses in the refrigerator. Since then, I’ve joked that if I become senile, it is certainly going to take awhile for anybody to notice.

If it is really important, you make it a point to remember it. If you are like me, though, you can’t afford to do the Post-It thing, because before you know it your life is papered with Post-Its and you still let important things get past you.

I would suggest you go to FlyLady.com, which is a nice website for people who continually get bogged down in details or distracted from what really needs doing. She’ll suggest you get a control journal–something nice that you enjoy looking at, not a three-ringed-jailer–so that you have a SINGLE PLACE for those things you really have to remember, and that you have DESIGNATED TIMES when you are cued to look at the list.

If the FlyLady seems overkill for you, then at least get yourself a binder of some kind with a calendar big enough for all of your deadlines. Keep one work list for yourself in that binder, but also get yourself some pocket dividers in which you can keep flyers and such that you don’t want to lose track of, each kept in the “corner of your life” in which it belongs.

Oh, and don’t forget to have a day you go through and throw old stuff out of that thing and on which your master list is re-generated. Also, have a place to write things down that come to mind while you’re in the middle of something else, so that you can get that thought in a safe place while you finish what you’re doing.

If you are like me, this is something you will always struggle with. Good luck!
 
SeekerJen said:
I use Post-It notes. And lists. And I have two calendars set up on my computer: one for general use, one for work projects. And in my lab, I write everything in my notebook, keep it well organized, and make labels for everything. Sure, I do a lot of writing on these media. Sure, my desk looks kinda silly when it’s covered in Post-Its. But I rarely forget things now, so I’m keeping my system.
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See, these just don’t work for me. I can leave myself a Post-It note, but it is like it becomes invisible to me.

I think the only thing that works is trying to have as many good habits as possible for the routine things in your life, so you don’t have to expend any mental energy on them. This frees up a lot of bandwidth. Not that I have this mastered or anything, I am a terrible daydreamer.
 
Do you have a hard time getting yourself organized as well? Maybe talk to your doctor about adult ADD and see what he says…
 
one of the best pieces advice I gleaned from my favorite book on organization and time management (Time Management for Catholics by Dave Durand, Sophia Inst Press) is have only one calendar, and write all appointments and notes on that calendar, including important info like the relevant phone numbers, addresses, directions on how to get there, what to bring etc. The kind that works best is one that fits in purse or briefcase, has a montly summary, then pages for week or day with enough space to enter the info you need. for me that is a 5 x 8 planner based on academic year.

on the montly page just make a brief note on the date so you know you have something going on that day. on the day page, put the details. for me, I color code events that are repetetive based on my job and outside activities. you might have another system.

getting rid of multiple calendars --wall, pocket, desk, work, home --has revolutionized my life.
 
puzzleannie said:
one of the best pieces advice I gleaned from my favorite book on organization and time management (Time Management for Catholics by Dave Durand, Sophia Inst Press) is have only one calendar, and write all appointments and notes on that calendar, including important info like the relevant phone numbers, addresses, directions on how to get there, what to bring etc. The kind that works best is one that fits in purse or briefcase, has a montly summary, then pages for week or day with enough space to enter the info you need. for me that is a 5 x 8 planner based on academic year.

on the montly page just make a brief note on the date so you know you have something going on that day. on the day page, put the details. for me, I color code events that are repetetive based on my job and outside activities. you might have another system.

getting rid of multiple calendars --wall, pocket, desk, work, home --has revolutionized my life.
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But if I read the OP correctly, the problem is more like, “Don’t forget to pick up the mail this afternoon” or “Susan is out of town, so don’t forget to make the weekly bank deposit for me” and he/she, fully intending to do it, forgets because a) it is not in his/her normal routine or b) something comes up as a distraction and it totally slips his/her mind. Or it is something important which she fully intends to do, only fifteen urgent things and an old friend visiting come up, and oh, my, where did the day go? These incidents make a person feel like an idiot.

I’ve found it useful to have a time, like the top of the hour, when I re-check my list to make sure I’m staying on track. The FlyLady does it every fifteen minutes, and uses a timer…the idea being, you do what you’re doing for 15 minutes, and unless the building is on fire, other distractions are just going to have to wait.

Now, if you’re a SAHM, there are days when you’d swear the building was on fire or the equivalent about 4 times an hour. Honestly, I did all my work with raw meat when the kids were asleep and used tongs when they were awake, because they seemed to have a “raw meat on Mom’s hands” radar that triggered fights or huge messes like 1/4 inch of soapy water covering about 25 square feet of hardwood floor. Still, even then the method does help.

If someone does not have my problem of being easily distracted, I think Steven Covey’s books are pretty good. In any event, you are right…you have to write it down and write it down somewhere where you will actually look at it on a regular basis. Otherwise, things just slip through the cracks.
 
Take time to organize yourself at work, if you haven’t done so already. Make lists. Use a calandar. I have to writed down everything at work that I have to do, or else I forget to do it.
 
I have to look at my calendar at least twice, sometimes 3 times a day, am getting ready for work, where am I supposed to be etc., and what must I do to prepare for upcoming events; lunch to check on evening appointments, meetings, classes, night-time to plan for tomorrow. I can only do that if the calendar is with me at all times

for me, forgetfulness is part and parcel of being disorganized, and time management in general, so any thing that helps that helps my memory.
 
need to be getting more sleep, drink more water and eat healthier, that’s what helps out the most, there are also some vitamins you can take for memory, they are called Ginkgo Biloba.

"The extract of the Ginkgo leaves contains flavonoid glycosides and terpenoids (ginkgolides, bilobalides) and has been used pharmaceutically. It has many alleged nootropic properties, and is mainly used as memory enhancer and anti-vertigo agent. However, studies differ about its efficacy.

Out of the many conflicting research results, there seem to be basically three effects of Ginkgo extract on the human body: it improves blood flow (including microcirculation in small capillaries) to most tissues and organs; it protects against oxidative cell damage from free radicals (antioxidant); and it blocks many of the effects of PAF (platelet aggregation, blood clotting) that have been related to the development of a number of cardiovascular, renal, respiratory and CNS (Central Nervous System) disorders. Ginkgo can be used for intermittent claudication.

A 2004 conference paper [6] summarises how various trials indicate that Ginkgo shows promise in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, although further study is needed.

Ginkgo is commonly added to energy drinks, but the amount is typically so low it does not produce a noticeable effect, except perhaps via a placebo effect from Ginkgo being listed on the label."

that taken from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo
 
Being forgetful and an airhead, as I think of it, can be a symptom of depression, I have recently learned. Antidepressants can help.
 
this thought came up in conversation today in RCIA class. when we forget things that ought to be important–job tasks, wife’s birthday, kids appointments etc.–there might be a reason why we subconsciously “reject” the memory and fail to bring these things to mind, It might be worthwhile to examine the bad memory situation carefully and thoughtfully. What do I forget, under what conditions, what is the consequence, how important is the thing I forget, what is the effect on others? on me? am I using “forgetting” as a means of passive aggression, a way to get back at someone or frustrate someone without taking making an active attack. Maybe it is time for OP to look at the workplace situation and see of there is something else going on that needs attention or adjustment.
 
Keep a bunch of 3x5 cards in your pocket at all times. Write stuff down frequently.
 
Hi there Nuruns,
I am a very forgetful person. I have very bad memory; it never used to be this way until now. You might want to check if you have a vitamin deficiency with the doctor. I found out that I am severely lacking in B12 which the brain needs and thus affects memory. Makes sense to me!
When it comes to not being able to find things, that’s a different story, because I’m not very organized. I don’t know if you’re disorganized but you may want to consider it as a factor leading to forgetfulness? I know that it’s a major factor for me.

In any case, as a sweet old priest of mine who always forgot things told me: There’s one good thing about losing you memory, it’s easier for us to forgive and forget 😛
Love,
-Alison
 
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