Here’s a tidbit of information that may go a long way—vitamins and supplements only work when you take them! In other words, if you purchase the bottle and have them sitting on your counter, they really can’t do much good simply because of their close proximity.
You have to REMEMBER to take them—and take them properly, at the right time of day, as recommended.
Of course, the main reason people don’t take their vitamins is because they simply forget.
So, here are a few ways that may help you to get better organized and be more mindful when it comes to taking your supplements.
1. Group Them:
Taking more than one supplement? It’s hard to keep them straight. Some require you to take with food, others on an empty stomach. Some are best to take in the morning, others at night. So, group them.
Organize your supplements by time of day and which ones need to be taken with a meal. This will allow you to create a supplement-taking-habit around morning or bedtime routines as well as meals.
2. Set Reminders:
We live in a highly technological world, and there is an app out there to help with everything—including remembering to take your supplements.
If you are tech savvy and need a bit of reminding, check out these two free apps:
Once you add your supplements to the program, it will shoot you a reminder when its time to take your vitamins. Just set it and forget it!
Not tech savvy? No worries. For the first few weeks of a new supplement regimen, write your own reminders on post-its and stick them where you’re sure to be reminded—on your bathroom mirror, your refrigerator, or your nightstand lamp—you get the point. Once you establish your routine, you won’t need the yellow signs in your face anymore.
3. Make Them Visible:
Out of sight, out of mind. We all have heard that before. This general rule also applies to supplements. Put them in a place you are bound to see them and remember to take them. You may want to keep them visibly on the counter, at least for a few weeks, until you establish your set routine.
Because I take multiple supplements, I have found it handy to buy a little cup that I keep on my counter. Like clockwork, I fill this cup every morning with my capsules. The cup itself is my vitamin reminder!
Most supplements require being stored in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, so be mindful of this when decided where to place your supplements for the long-term.
4. Put Yourself First:
Taking your supplements is about self-care, along with exercising, eating well, finding time to meditate and relax and putting yourself first, even for a moment. Get into the head space that self-care is vital and prioritize your pill routine as part of this ritual. When you realize the health benefits of supporting your health and wellness, you will be more apt to remember taking your supplements.
5. Buy Multiple Bottles:
Keeping a bottle at home and a bottle at work also helps with compliance. If you’re not one to pack your mid-day vitamins in your lunch or purse, consider keeping a spare bottle in your office desk drawer.
It isn’t wise to remove supplements from their original containers and place them in pill holders.The dessicant in capsule bottles helps keep your supplements fresh. B vitamins, for example, are highly hygroscopic, meaning that they pull moisture from the air, which may affect the integrity of the product if they don’t contain heavy preservatives (you don’t want heavy preservatives in your supplements). Keep your supplements in their original containers for this reason.
Starting a new routine requires purposefulness, persistence and effort. The old adage that it takes 21 days to change a behavior is actually inaccurate. According to research, for some, it may be as little as 8 days, for others as many as 264 days. There is no magic number of days or length of time that will make a behavior a habit.
The good news is knowing what works. Repetition. Doing the same action in the same context—same time, same place—helps to build the foundation that results in change. These actions over time tend to become automatic responses. They simply become part of our lives, as mainstream and simplistic as brushing your teeth twice a day.
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Sources:
https://www.foodscienceofvermont.com/blog/how-can-i-remember-to-take-my-vitamins-try-these-4-tips/
https://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/health/5-ways-to-remember-to-take-your-vitamins/
https://www.wonderlabs.com/blog/7-creative-ways-to-remember-to-take-your-vitamins
https://thedrswolfson.com/10-tricks-remember-take-vitamin-supplements/
https://organized31.com/remember-take-vitamins/
https://carissashaw.com/7-smart-tricks-remember-take-vitamins/