10 Super Simple & Effective Hacks for How to Remember to Take Vitamins

Constantly forgetting your vitamins?

I hear ya. Unfortunately, those vitamins and prescription medications won’t do you much good if you don’t remember to take them daily.

Don’t worry – with a few super simple and highly effective strategies, you can make sure you never miss a dose. Here are 5 tips to help you remember your vitamins like a pro.

How to Remember to Take Vitamins on a Daily Basis

As a memory health coach, helping forgetful women strategize daily tasks to boost their recall is my job. These highly effective strategies can help you, too. Just don’t overthink it. Invest the time and energy to set yourself up for success and in time it will stick.

Step 1: Create a routine that works every day of the week.

The first step is to create a routine. Taking your daily supplements at the same time each day is one of the best ways to make a habit stick. The best time to take your vitamins or medications depends on several factors, including:

• Time of day it's most effective - different vitamins vary in the best time to take them. For example, magnesium can help you relax and therefore it's best to take it an hour before bed whereas a vitamin D supplement can be taken in the morning. 
• If you need to consume it with food or on an empty stomach. Lessen your side effects by timing this right. Prescription drug containers list this info on the side for a reason! 
• The recommended daily amount. Do you need to take it once a day, or two?
• What works best for you and your schedule. 

Step 2: Stack the task.

Identify an existing routine and build on it. For example, the very first thing I do in the morning is grab myself a hot cup of coffee. Since I’m already great at doing this – no phone reminders required – I can take advantage of habit stacking. 

Habit stacking simply means building a new habit on an already established habit. In this case, my established habit is drinking coffee is the best choice for me. I do it easily and without thinking. Now I'm going to build upon my coffee routine to add my vitamins.

It will go like this: Before I drink my coffee, I will fill my mug with water and take my vitamins (which I will strategically keep beside my coffee mugs, but we’ll get to that later!) In this example, my mug is a trigger for the action. You can use any established habit that you already have with this formula: Before/After I [current habit], I will [new habit].

Here are a few more examples for how to use habit stacking to help you remember to take your vitamins:

• Before I brush my teeth, I will take my vitamins.
• After I eat my breakfast, I will take my vitamins.
• After I get myself a glass of water for bedtime, I will take my vitamins.

Habit stacking works so well because your current habits are already programmed into your brain. We’ll make this easier in the next step by adding a visual reminder. 

Step 3: Use strategic placement.

Skip the medicine cabinets.

Keep your vitamins in plain sight. Put them in a spot you will see them every day of the week – like your kitchen counter or on a bathroom shelf. Find the perfect place that makes sense for the time of day you’ve chosen to take them.

For example, if I’ve decided that I will take my vitamins before I drink my coffee, I will store the bottle in the cabinet where I keep my coffee mugs or on the counter directly beside my coffee maker. If bedtime is my target, I’ll leave my vitamins on my nightstand. Once you’ve established your new vitamin-taking routines effectively, you can put them within reach of these locations rather than always in sight – like in your nightstand drawer.

Until then, leave them where you won’t miss them.

Step 4: Establish a safety net.

Set an alert or use a reminder app on your cell phone to remind you to take your vitamins. If all else fails, this will ensure that you don’t miss a dose while you’re practicing the steps listed above. Daily reminders are like a safety net, they catch you when you forget your pills. It’s also a great method for self-checking.

Once you’ve mastered your new routine, you can silence the alert.

Step 5: Stick with it.

New habits don’t happen overnight. Give yourself time to establish these new routines and stick with them, even if you fail at first.

Looking for vitamins to help brain fog? Grab my list of The 6 Best Vitamins and Supplements to Help Brain Fog.

Tools to Help you Stay Organized and Remember to Take Your Vitamins

Don't shy away from organization tools to help you meet your health goals. At the end of the day, what matters the most is that you're successful in sticking to your new daily routine.

Here are 5 tools to help you get the best results:

• Establish an accountability partner. A family member who lives in your home can double as a safety net. Bonus: Both of you can benefit from checking in.
• Use a pill box. Set up your pill organizer at the start of the week. Spending ten minutes upfront makes it even easier to remember throughout the week (and to self-check if you've missed any.)
• Place bright sticky notes as reminders. If you can't (or won't) leave your pills in sight, place a bright sticky note in a strategic location to help you remember. 
• Use your Alexa device to help you remember your daily dose. "Alexa, set a daily reminder for 8AM to take my vitamins."
• Use a printable habit tracker sheet to stay on top of your new regimen. Don't forget to reward yourself for meeting your goals! This little act can help you stay motivated. 

Conclusion

By following these simple tips, you’ll remember to take your vitamins more easily.

If chronic forgetfulness is a problem for you, check out my other resources for memory help – starting with my free download: The Get Your Memory Back Guide where I’ll walk you step-by-step through how to feel more focused and less forgetful by the end of the week without drowning in forgotten notes to self.

*This is not medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider regarding vitamins and medications.