Shifting habits

[Lizard Queen]

Mar 11, 2021 8:14:34 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Set the daily box next to the toilet. Check it every time you express yourself.

Eww.  I just think about the bacteria they say sprays around whenever you flush the toilet. 

[thyme4change]

Mar 11, 2021 14:07:54 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

Mar 11, 2021 8:14:34 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

Set the daily box next to the toilet. Check it every time you express yourself.

Eww.  I just think about the bacteria they say sprays around whenever you flush the toilet. 

Put it in a see-thru bag.

My bathroom is small. If a toilet is spraying poop juice, I am already living in it. It must be on my counters and in my medicine cabinet and on my bath towels and my robe. My brush and my makeup probably have some remnants, if they can wiggle into a loosely closed drawer. I guess I am not that worried about it.

[Deleted]

Mar 9, 2021 16:41:05 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Since I was 20 years old, I have taken whatever meds I’ve needed to take when I put in my contact lenses each morning. The 2 events are firmly coupled in my brain.

I am now halfway through my third week of glasses and I have forgotten to take my BP meds about half the time. This is not good....I know it. Since the contacts are going to be gone forever, I need someway to remember. I also need some way to remember that I took them when I do remember to take them. Doling them out in days of the week containers only addresses the second issue, not the first. Right now, each morning that I do remember, I turn the containers upside down. I reset them right side up when I brush my teeth before bed.

My contacts + meds coupling has worked incredibly well for 40 years.  Now I need to figure out a way to remember.  Any suggestions? 

I read the entire thread..... I’m still not sure why you can’t just set reminders in your phone. You can set the sound for a loud, annoying sound that will get your attention no matter what you’re doing. Snooze it if you don’t immediately take your medicine (so it keeps bugging you ever so often), turn it off if/when you do actually take it. Easy peasy.

Couple that with something like a pill container separated by days of the week or whatever, just to make things even easier.

I know and understand many of the potential issues with making or breaking habits, but I must be missing something about IRT this particular situation.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Mar 12, 2021 21:56:08 GMT -5 @pinkcshmere said:

Mar 9, 2021 16:41:05 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Since I was 20 years old, I have taken whatever meds I’ve needed to take when I put in my contact lenses each morning. The 2 events are firmly coupled in my brain.

I am now halfway through my third week of glasses and I have forgotten to take my BP meds about half the time. This is not good....I know it. Since the contacts are going to be gone forever, I need someway to remember. I also need some way to remember that I took them when I do remember to take them. Doling them out in days of the week containers only addresses the second issue, not the first. Right now, each morning that I do remember, I turn the containers upside down. I reset them right side up when I brush my teeth before bed.

My contacts + meds coupling has worked incredibly well for 40 years.  Now I need to figure out a way to remember.  Any suggestions? 

I read the entire thread..... I’m still not sure why you can’t just set reminders in your phone. You can set the sound for a loud, annoying sound that will get your attention no matter what you’re doing. Snooze it if you don’t immediately take your medicine (so it keeps bugging you ever so often), turn it off if/when you do actually take it. Easy peasy.

Couple that with something like a pill container separated by days of the week or whatever, just to make things even easier.

I know and understand many of the potential issues with making or breaking habits, but I must be missing something about IRT this particular situation.

This would work if I was attached to my phone.  Unlike a lot of people, I am not.  Right now, the only reason why I know where it is is because it is charging (and had been dead for 2 days).  I probably forget to bring it with me 50% of the time.  

I may have figured it out.  Again, another stupid habit but when I’d get up to make coffee, I’d use the hall bath on the way to the kitchen to make coffee.  That bath had the toilet riser I used to need.  While the riser makes it easier for me, it’s not necessary anymore and I had TD remove it.  Now there is no reason not to use the master bath.....when I see the vials, I remember.  So far, I’ve remembered every day this week.  Fingers crossed this continues to work.  

[NastyWoman]

How about a pillbox on top of the coffee maker? Never occurred to me before but that may work

[Lizard Queen]

My phone also buzzes my watch, but whatever works for you.

[nidena]

New year, new habits...

When I started taking hormones for my peri-fun, I taped the lid of the box to the bathroom mirror with the days circled that I'm supposed to change the patch.  Every day, I say what day it is out loud to remind myself to change it or to wait another day or so.

[countrygirl2]

We have our pill boxes on a stand by the table. When DD eats breakfast, she and I take our pills. She has night time ones too, she takes 12 a day.

We forget once in awhile but overall do well.

[dannylion]

It sounds like you make coffee every morning?  Maybe think about moving your meds to wherever the coffee pot is (kitchen?) and make that the trigger to take your meds.  Or maybe there is something else you do every morning that could be tied to your meds.  I keep my meds in the kitchen and take them after breakfast.  

[Tennesseer]

Prior to going to bed leave your medication out on the counter and put your glasses by them. Take the meds first thing in the morning.

[cronewitch]

I spend most of my time in my recliner so each night or morning I put a cup of pills on my side table next to a beverage. My cups are lids from pill bottles and I have a dozen or so that I prefill. Morning I take one pill with food, evenings the rest of the pills with food. The cup sits there all day and I can see if the morning pill is gone, if not I get a snack and pill. Evenings I take the rest of the pills then later put out a new container for the next day, of all the pills are there it is tomorrow pills, missing the morning pill it is tonight pills.
This morning I forgot to take the morning pill when I had toast so took the rest and have one pill left, in a few hours snack and pill. My pills require food even if only a few crackers. 

When ISO was alive, we set out day of the week containers for morning and evening. When we made or got more coffee we could see if the pills were still there. He sometimes took them himself and sometimes they came with his coffee refill.  With two of us remembering it always worked.

When I was married my ex wanted me to take vitamins, so each morning brought me a dixie cup of pills and glass of water, it was easier to take them than not.