My sympathy as am there sometimes, too:-))! I have never heard men having this problem...Why????:-((

lyn67... I have a comic strip from the paper with a man and woman (parents) sitting on a coach with a thought bubble over their heads. The woman's thoughts range from "situation in Middle East" to "pack kids' lunches" and there were at least 20 things. The man's thought bubble just says "BEER". Maybe I need to be more like a guy.

I keep bouncing from I need to do more to I need to do less.... That's the endless balancing act, I guess.

I need to write down everything asap. Even stuff for next year.

Everything is written in two physical calendars - one for the family and one for work. I like paper because handwriting makes me remember better, both because of the writing itself and I can use colours (if I want) and the letters gets personal (though not neat).

I use post-it stickers a lot too. Especially if I'm not around the family calendar.

I read your earlier comment and I don't think the calendar is the elementary solution. Could it be that you are overwhelmed by all kinds of demands and as a consequence ignoring your needs? What actions could be helpful to carve out a tiny bit of space for yourself?

What do you need to do and what do you *want* to do? What can be outsourced? Where can you make shortcuts?

I know I need some time to reload, otherwise I get soo dysfunctional. My «medicine» is meditation. (Headspace is a great app, even for beginners and only take 10 min) And yoga and other training.

So sorry you're in this mess now. Hang in there.

Now that I'm working part time out of the house and part time in the house I keep extra things at the office - like an extra bottle of my vitamins, an extra toothbrush and toothpaste, stuff like that. I also duplicated my headset, keyboard and other items for my computer so I don't have to carry as much back and forth.

I also tend to use reminders (automated phone or computer), I write notes (keep a pen and notepad or at least paper on me a lot of time) and I try to stick to a routine as much as I can.

I use my iPhone calendar alerts and flag important messages in my inbox (anything not important gets deleted; a cluttered inbox drives me nuts). I never forget to take my medicine, so that's not a problem.

I feel your pain! With two little kids I feel like the brain cells have been sucked right out of my head. The only thing that kind of helps me is to have definite routines and as little clutter as possible. For example my cell phone - it's plugged in next to my bed. When I leave my bedroom in the morning I unplug it, carry it downstairs and put it right in my purse (which is in my path out the door or I'd forget that too). If I vary in this, like look at it in the kitchen, I will forget it. Also, the more clutter that is around, the more confused I get. So I try to purge, purge, purge and keep spaces clear so that I see the important things. Like I said, this only works for me about 20% of the time. Now I'm going to go read all the responses and see what good advise you got.

Another thing I make a point of doing is not overscheduling myself. I can only handle so much in a day. When I was raising my kids, I didn't overschedule them, either.

Just to clarify, I'm not miserable - just terribly chaotic and overwhelmed. My job requires a brain dump daily to delete all the information I've gotten, and everything else tends to get dumped with it. I am taking note of all these hints. Bringing extra vitamins and other stuff to work is an excellent idea!

Glad you are getting some good ideas Una. That changing schedule, in particular, would upset many of us.

Also just wanted to say that my husband mislays his keys and wallet say more than I do!

I hearby crown Gaylene 'JUDGE Gaylene' - LOVE that if an event is not noted it 'doesn't exist'

I learned about the Bullet Journal method a couple of months ago, and I LOVE IT. I feel like my life is a whirlwind and I can't keep anything straight anymore, but the Bullet Journal makes me feel sane. I write everything down -- even book recommendations, packing lists, etc. I keep them on a page and list the page # on my index page. Everything I want to remember.

http://bulletjournal.com

I still use a digital calendar (google) for my appointments, and finally upgraded to a better one than the standard OSX and iOS one (Fantastical 2). It made a HUGE difference.

Oh boy, growing up I was notorious in my family for my memory. If I saw it or heard it, I remembered it point blank.

Now, not so much. Wow, does it ever get worse.

I write everything down. Everything. Not so much the day to day stuff, but anything that needs doing is written on my jumbo calendar. I consult it every.single.day.all.day. I tried going electronic but it fell by the wayside. I'm a list person through and through.

Funny though. I've never forgotten to eat.

This thread came to mind this morning.

I was a little frazzled. One daughter was complaining about the toaster not being plugged in and another required my attention with her cooking her breakfast and I couldn't find my makeup!! So set out with just lipstick today.

30 m down the road I suspect that I had forgotten my running shoes to wear to the gym at lunchbreak. So I went back to get them. 100 m down the road again I realise I have forgotten my security card - but press on any way as I can borrow one for the day. As I approach my bus stop (7 minute walk) I realise that I have forgotten my handbag and therefore can't catch the bus.

So I walk home again, pick up the bag (which I'd left behind while getting the shoes) and security card and got my husband to get out of bed and drop me further down the highway because I couldn't afford any more walking time.

And yes, I was told I had a photographic memory as a child...

Have you seen this TED talk? I've always thought I had a terrible memory but after watching this maybe there's hope!

http://www.ted.com/talks/joshu.....anguage=en

I reread your post and caught that you're taking iron sups. Low ferritin (storage) robs you of energy, brain power and memory, so make it a priority if you are running low. Let us know what works for you!