How to remember daily tasks

Hello everyone,

 I’m new to the site. I haven’t been diagnosed with autism but I’ve completed all the online tests and I’m definitely on the spectrum.

I’m in my 50s and previously my mother, who used to live with me, used to help me with daily tasks but she died18 months ago and I now living alone, I have no family and am struggling to remember what to do.

I’m constantly late for work and appointment because I get engrossed in things and forget to go to sleep so I wake up late or lose track of time. Sometimes I forget to order or take my medication. I’m also not good at budgeting money even if I write down a list. I seem to spend too much.

Does anyone have any helpful tips for how to remember to do easy everyday things?

  • Drinking water, before going to bed, prevents oversleeping. I began drinking water, as opposed to tea, at evening time. Now, I don't feel punch drunk every morning.

  • Hello. There is a great recommended app called Tiimo that is specifically designed to support autistics/ADHDers with organisation and executive function:

    https://www.tiimoapp.com/

    I hope this helps!

  • Hi.  If you have a smartphone like iPhone.  I use the built in reminder app.  For many things.  Setting date / time and what needed to be done, etc.

    also a alarm clock for morning.  

    also I find getting in a routine helps.  
    hope this helps. 

  • I realised that I have a certain way of organisation that is different. Try to find yours: what are you comfortable with? Lists? Bubbles? You also consider drawings, maybe a song, and pictures can be psychologically different for us autistic people. I realise I am more comfortable and deal with changes when I have a pictured timetable.

    Take the problem from the top: what are you most comfortable with?

  • I have an alarm clock which I set for roughly the same time each day so tend to go to bed about the same time. This helps as I sometimes wake up just before the alarm. It also covers for the mornings I might not wake up in time if I struggled to get to sleep the night before.

    I tend to do the getting ready in the morning things in the same order. Could you start writing them down to tick off in the hope that eventually it becomes easier?

    I don't know how on a smart phone but when I had an ordinary mobile, I could set messages on an alarm. I think you might be able to set one that goes off the same time each day for medication 

    Regarding money, I used to keep a book of what I spent. It depends on how much you spend, but I have found using online shopping instead of going to the supermarket means I work out the cheapest and know how much it will cost. I find the notes under items are handy because they tell you how much things cost per gram.

    It is however harder now as everything is more expensive.