How many times have you stepped out of the house then ask yourself, “Did I leave the iron on? Did I unplug the TV?” I usually ask myself, “Did I lock the door? Did I unplug the stove? Did I turn the airconditioning off? Did I turn the electric fan off? Did I bring my cellphone? Holy crap!!!”
My forgetfulness stresses me out! What happens is that I have to rush from the car back to the apartment and check whether I did unplug, turn off, or close several things. More often than not, items would be unplugged, turned off or closed. I figure I forget whether I did do those things because these actions are so mechanical and automatic already.
Here’s what worked for me. It has saved me from being so stressed out so early in the morning.
| Whenever I’m about to unplug, turn off, or close something, I say it out loud. |
“I’m unplugging the electric fan!”
“I’m turning the TV off!”
“I’m closing the windows!”
It also works with:
“I’m putting my cell phone in my bag!”
“I’m locking the door!”
“I’m wearing my wedding ring!”
Sometimes I say it like Ryan Seacrest on American Idol. “Aircon… out! TV… out!” These declarative statements have eased my mornings a great deal. No more panic attacks. Tears for Fears was right. “Shout, shout, let it all out,” they sang. In this case, say it out loud and it’ll help you remember better!
Hi! I'm Toni Tiu,
and I've been blogging at
at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.
jher
January 17, 2007 at 10:27 am (17 years ago)Sanity… OUT! Hahahahahahahha
Paul
January 17, 2007 at 11:27 am (17 years ago)Maybe it’s forgetfulness but blurting out ‘declarative statements’ is also a character of an OC person. Reminds me of Jach Nicholson’s character in “As Good As It Gets”. Somewhat.
Leah
January 17, 2007 at 11:54 am (17 years ago)good idea..i forget a lot of these things too. Is the candle still burning? Or have you left your lunch (baon) once or twice and it was too late to come back for it? Me and my hubs try check and balance ech other. Did you do this, did you take that?
Carmi
January 17, 2007 at 1:18 pm (17 years ago)I’m so glad to see I’m not alone: my wife says I’d lose my head were it not for my neck.
She finally put a basket on the little desk by the front door. When I come into the house, everything has to go into that basket. If it doesn’t, I’ll inevitably end up hunting for it. She knows when I’m doing the telltale, aimless walk that I’ve lost something yet again.
My destiny, I guess.
Toni
January 17, 2007 at 1:24 pm (17 years ago)jher: Hahaha! Kaloka!
Paul: My name is Toni and I am OC!
Leah: In the beginning, it’s okay. But once the forgetfulness escalates, my, my, it causes so much stress. I hope this approach helps you too!
Carmi: I like that basket idea!! I always end up wondering where my keys and my cell phone are. Putting my stuff in a basket will definitely help. Thanks for the tip, Carmi! I’ll do that soon and see how it works out. I might end up saying, “I’m putting my keys in the basket!” “I’m taking my keys out of the basket!” 😀
DanieL
January 17, 2007 at 4:56 pm (17 years ago)I like the shouting part, it’s like screaming to your brains so as not for you to forget things. Nice, nice!
I’m becoming more and more forgetful and this sometimes scares me. What if I have that…what do you call it again? Alzheimer’s Scary thought.
=)
Toni
January 17, 2007 at 8:12 pm (17 years ago)DanieL: Scary thought indeed! Sometimes I think I have ADD naman. Or maybe I’m just getting older talaga.
vina
January 17, 2007 at 8:18 pm (17 years ago)haha, that’s funny. but hey, if it works for you!
i usually only forget about some things when i’ve only started doing them a number of times. otherwise, being OC too, like you, i have a place and a system for most things and these get me through.
Via
January 17, 2007 at 11:51 pm (17 years ago)Hi Toni! Check out our friend’s invention http://people.interaction-ivrea.it/c.palino
mare
January 18, 2007 at 12:42 am (17 years ago)Very good idea, do you care who hears yous? 😛 I say, it’s better to go back and double check than to be sorry. Too many crazy things have happened!
Nostalgia Manila
January 18, 2007 at 10:54 am (17 years ago)Hey Toni!
Just wanted to let you know that your article on your favorite Shoppesville haunts has been featured in Nostalgia Manila. The feature links to your full article on Metroblogging Manila. Do share this with all your friends and family.
Thanks very much, and keep up the good work!
–Nostalgia Manila
Yupki
January 18, 2007 at 2:20 pm (17 years ago)I have the same problem, my forgetfulness has gotten worse ne. Sometimes I have to just go back home even if I’m in uptown already as I have visions of the building burning thanks to me. And you’re right, most often than not, the things I worry about like whether I unplugged the iron or switched off the AC, are things I shouldn’t have been worrying about in the first place. I’ll try doing what you’re doing, say things out loud!
petite
January 18, 2007 at 4:13 pm (17 years ago)hi, toni! happy new year to you and your family!
call me borderline (or full blown?) OC, but i have a little routine or ritual whenever i leave and get back to the house (especially when leaving). the hubby usually has to wait in the hallway for a few minutes while i go over my “checks”, which i always do in order. i do this for my own peace of mind, so that pag nasa labas na kami, i don’t have to keep thinking of things we might have left “on”, and be able to enjoy the time out of the house more.
rach
January 18, 2007 at 6:31 pm (17 years ago)Nice idea. I’m quite forgetful too so I think I’ll benefit from your little advice. I guess saying it out loud makes good sense because it somehow reminds your brain to process and capture that particular action. That way there are more chances that the brain wil remember it later. Thanks!
Jing
January 18, 2007 at 8:55 pm (17 years ago)hahahah, very robotic, but works. But what IF along the way to work i thought : DID I SAY IT OUT LOUD; THAT I UNPLUGGED THE IRON?
40% of my time is wasted on this exact thing, going back just to check if i really did unplug things that can cause a house to burn. Its some sort of a paranoia for me when Im outside
eye
January 18, 2007 at 9:09 pm (17 years ago)speaking of seacrest, may american idol 2007 na. wed&thurs uli sa star world 😀
Jing
January 18, 2007 at 9:30 pm (17 years ago)i forgot to mention, I was locked out of the house on Christmas day… I forgot to shout out loud… IM PUTTING THE KEYS and CELLPHONE IN MY POCKET. I waited 2 1/2 in the cold before I was rescued.
I wanted to kill myself that time for my stupidity!!!
pinayhekmi
January 19, 2007 at 4:10 am (17 years ago)woody’s gonna start doing this. He has really OCD tendencies.
Sidney
January 19, 2007 at 3:55 pm (17 years ago)I had the same problem before. Now I never do things “automatically” but I think about what I am doing.
karina
January 19, 2007 at 10:03 pm (17 years ago)galing nito. 😉
rowie
January 20, 2007 at 2:12 am (17 years ago)OC alert!
I’m not like this when I leave the house but I do have to go downstairs to check if the front door is locked before going to sleep.
I get a little bit like that when I’m leaving for a long trip, though. “What did I leave, what did I leave …?” Then I comfort myself by saying that as long as I have my cellphone and my wallet, I can buy anything else that I forgot.
krn
January 20, 2007 at 11:22 pm (17 years ago)Before i leave the house, I always recite three words in my head: “phone, keys, wallet.” If I have my keys, i can retrieve the stuff i left inside the house. If i have my wallet, i know i have money to commute back to the house. If I have my phone, I know I can always call someone for help.
Meeyagirl
January 27, 2007 at 8:14 am (17 years ago)hehehe, cute! pero helpful, ha! the old-fashioned “tying a red string on the finger” thingy never worked for me.