How to Never Forget to Take Your Daily Vitamins
Vitamin Organizing:
My favorite ways to organize daily vitamins
Creating the right organizing systems can help us establish and maintain healthy habits. So in honor of National Wellness Month (August), give yourself the gift of health by taking some time to personalize an organizing system that works for you!
Vitamin Organization
You’re probably aware of this common sight — a grouping of vitamins and supplements crowded on a counter or table (sometimes with even more stashed in drawers or cabinets!). There is every intention of taking these daily vitamins; however, many times (myself included)… we simply forget!
Why do we forget? Usually one of these reasons (or a combination):
Vitamin storage is not in a convenient place
Timing of vitamins is difficult to remember
Overwhelmed by volume of what “we should take”
It’s not part of our daily routine yet
If you want to establish a daily vitamin routine, it’s important to get your vitamin organization dialed in.
Step 1: Edit
Decide what are the essential, most important daily vitamins to take. I call these “Level 1” vitamins. As James Clear says, “A habit must be established before it can be improved.” If at all possible, start with vitamins that do not have complicated timing instructions. You can always add these in later, after these “Level 1” vitamins are a built-in habit — but first, we want to simplify the routine.
Be sure to also check expiration dates and toss any that are expired!
Step 2: Organize
Sort similar vitamins together. Suggested groupings:
Essential “Level 1” daily vitamins
Backstock vitamins of daily vitamins
Occasionally needed supplements
Medicine (including pain & allergy relievers)
Step 3: Storage & Placement
Decide which organizing system works best for you. Below are my favorite ways to store and organize vitamins:
Pill organizer, split into Morning/Evening* — I like this method because it helps with timing and you can also throw the individual daily pill box into your purse if you are on the go. One little pill box on the counter or table is also minimal visual clutter, which is my preference compared to vitamin bottles. Just need to refill weekly, and then no more thinking about it the rest of the week!
*Other timing intervals are available, too.
Displayed vitamin bottles — in a bin, turntable, tiered shelves , basket or decorative tray on the counter or table for a visual reminder. If you don’t enjoy the “pharmacy look” of the vitamins, you could also decant your vitamins into air-tight jars.
Hidden vitamin bottles — store them out of sight inside of a drawer, cabinet or pantry using a bin, turntable, or tiered shelves to keep them visually organized and stored all together. Backstock vitamins, less frequently used supplements, and medicine should definitely be stored out of sight to minimize visual clutter.
Step 4: Establish Habit
Habit stacking and visual trackers are wonderful ways to help remember and establish a new habit. Habit stacking is when you add a new task to an already established habit. For example, the established habit might be brushing your teeth. Habit stacking would be completing the new habit *right after* brushing your teeth. Think about your day, and decide where in your daily routine and schedule it makes the best sense to take your vitamins.
Visual reminders will also help keep you on track. While a pill organizer will automatically track your progress, you can create a visual tracker of your own or download this one. It will be super satisfying to see those completion check-marks come through!
Healthy Habits
Inspired to amplify your wellness? Apply the above techniques to other areas of your life and keep it rolling! Other ideas for healthy habits to create an organizing system for:
Healthy snacks
Exercise routines
Daily steps
Sleep routines
Screen-time
You got this! ⭐️