Finding Things

I forget where I have put things

We all forget where we have put things at times, and this may get worse when we are stressed or tired. But sometimes MS itself can mean that our attention wanders just for the moment when we put down our car keys, and then something else crops up and we never really register that we left them on the kitchen worktop. Keeping track of all of our actions and decisions can be a tough call.

Tips and Tricks

• Have a set place for everything (your glasses, your car keys) and always put these essential items in their set place.
• At key times during your day (returning from an outing, before going to bed) check important items are in their set places.
• If keeping things in different set places doesn’t work, have one place to collect important things, such as a canvas tidy over the kitchen door with lots of pockets for glasses, car keys, bills to pay, letters to post etc. you could label the pockets.
• If remembering to check items doesn’t work, have a list of important items handy, perhaps by the front door or on the fridge, and check through at a set point time each day (after your evening meal for example) that all are in their set places
• If you want to keep your important things in different places and the list isn’t enough to help you remember, make a list of items and locations e.g. car keys in handbag, wallet in coat pocket, or draw a map of the house with important items marked on locations.
• You may also want to use this list or map before you go out, either routinely or when you have an important journey to make like going to a wedding, to check that you have everything you need for the day
• Bag insert (commercially available, holds all essential items and transfers them from handbag to handbag or briefcase to shopper).

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