Living Well with Forgetfulness

Forgetfulness can be a bit of a personality quirk that you don’t have to worry about…until it starts really impacting your life and making things harder for you than it needs to be. Then, it becomes a potential problem that you may want to get on top of to bring youtube life back on track and improve your mental wellbeing.

Just remember that forgetfulness doesn’t mean failure. It doesn’t mean you’re lazy or not trying hard enough. Sometimes, it just means your brain is juggling too many tabs at once, and one of them crashed with no warning. So let’s talk about living well with forgetfulness. It’s possible. It’s also occasionally hilarious.

Step One: Accept That You’re Not a Machine

In a world that idolizes hyper-productivity and always being on, it is worth noting that humans are not machines, and we can’t always keep up with the busy 5 a.m. yoga classes followed by journaling, responding to emails. Heading to work as we eat breakfast in the fly, lifestyle. Nor should we aspire to do so.

If you’re the kind of person who forgets what they were saying mid-sentence or leaves their coffee in the microwave every morning, you don’t need fixing. You need a system. And maybe a second microwave coffee.

Step Two: Embrace the Tools of the Trade

Technology exists for a reason, and in this case, it’s to save your forgetful self from spiraling. Set reminders. Use timers. Put sticky notes on your bathroom mirror if you have to. No shame. If your phone could talk,  it would already be asking if you need an ADHD assessment, especially when it’s reminding you for the fifth time to take out the trash.

By the way, if your forgetfulness is causing more chaos than comedy, an ADHD assessment can be a game-changer. Not because labels are trendy, but because understanding your brain helps you work with it instead of constantly battling it. Whether or not you have ADHD, tools designed for neurodivergent brains often work brilliantly for the perpetually distracted.

Step Three: Laugh When You Can, Pivot When You Can’t

Let’s face it. Sometimes forgetfulness is funny. Like when you go to the grocery store for milk and come home with candles, hummus, and no milk. Other times, it’s frustrating, like missing deadlines or forgetting birthdays. That’s when grace comes in handy. Give it to yourself often.

If a method isn’t working, change it. Forget digital calendars? Try a giant wall planner. Forget to write in your wall planner? Use voice memos. Forget to check your voice memos? Ask a friend to remind you. Forget which friend? Okay, you might need a buddy system.

Step Four: Celebrate the Wins, No Matter How Small

Found your keys before the fifth try? Victory. Remembered your password without having to reset it? Parade-worthy. Finished a task without wandering off mid-way to alphabetize your spice rack? You deserve a trophy.

Living well with forgetfulness means learning to cheer yourself on for showing up, trying again, and laughing when things go sideways. Spoiler alert: they often will.

You’re Not Broken, Just Loosely Assembled

Forgetfulness doesn’t mean you’re not smart or capable. It just means your brain likes to go off-roading occasionally. And while that can be frustrating,  it can also be surprisingly freeing. Life doesn’t have to be perfectly remembered to be well lived.

So go easy on yourself. Get support if you need it. And when you find your sunglasses on top of your head for the third time this week, try to laugh. You’re doing just fine.

Pexels – CCO Licence