So you’re ready to get on track with taking your daily pills—whether it’s natural supplements like vitamin D, vitamin C, or vitamin B12 to keep you healthy year round, or prescription medications to keep a health condition under control. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. According to a CDC survey, over half of U.S. adults age 20 and older have taken at least one supplement in the past month. As we age, supplement use increases, with 80.2% of women age 60 and over taking at least one. According to the survey, the older we get, the more supplements we tend to take.1
You may have your vitamin bottles in a seemingly convenient place, but opening multiple bottles each time you need to take them can be a hassle. Or maybe the tricky lock caps on prescription medication bottles gets difficult for your elderly parents. Or maybe your well-intentioned New Year’s resolution to stay on top of your vitamin intake got pushed as far back in your mind as those vitamins did in your medicine cabinet.
That’s where a little organization can go a long way. Disorganization, no matter how large or small a space you’re talking about, can also bring about feelings of overwhelm and anxiety. Small steps toward creating a more organized life, home, or routine can do wonders for your health. Organization can span a wide array of topics, areas, or items. As with many things in work or life, starting small is key and can spark a bigger next step. Something as small as organizing your daily pill intake can be helpful; making this part of your day more efficient while also organizing the space where your vitamin bottles are stored is a win-win.
Let’s face it—no matter the reason you’re taking vitamins or prescribed medications, the task of remembering to actually take them isn’t always top of mind. Sometimes the trick to keeping on track is to put them in an organized container. There are several benefits to using a pill organizer and also several types to choose from depending on your needs.
- Limited hand function: For anyone who has trouble with the push-and-twist medication caps or has other mobility issues with their hands, an organizer with a flip cap or soft-touch push button is easy and convenient.
- Number of pills: If you have several pills to take each day, consider a single-storage container with a rotating cap. Flip open the lid once, slide the opening to each individually divided section, and shake the pills out one by one. There’s even a larger section for pills that tend to be on the larger side, such as fish oil.
- Remembering to take daily pills: If you have trouble remembering whether or not you’ve taken your pills on any given day, consider a pill planner with the days of the week. The buttons make for easy opening, and you’ll never forget if you haven’t taken your day’s pills because the name of the day is written on the top of each compartment.
So you’ve got the right container, but now where do you store it so you won’t forget to actually use it? Make sure to keep it somewhere you’re going to see and remember it every day. The time of day you take your vitamins or medications may help determine the best place to store it for your own purposes.
- If you take vitamins first thing in the morning, store them in your medicine cabinet or right next to your toothbrush—whichever part of your morning routine will never get missed.
- If you take vitamins with breakfast, leave them next to your morning staple—whether that’s your coffee station, your typical sit-down breakfast area, or your next to your grab-and-go snacks if you’re on the go.
- If yours are taken with lunch, keep the organizer in your lunch bag so you don’t forget to grab them when you leave for work.
- If you take them at night, place it on a nightstand so you’ll see them before you turn out the lights.
No matter your preferred spot, keeping it convenient can make it easier for you to keep a routine. Doing so also helps keep that space organized. Instead of having several vitamin bottles sitting out at once, you can have this one organized container. When you’re in a rush to get out the door in the morning or falling tired into your bed at night, you won’t forget to take your vitamins since the container will be directly in sight.
Keeping an organized container or gifting to someone else can help make sure those you love are taking their vitamins, too. If you’re worried about an elderly parent remembering to take their vitamins or opening a bottle with a tricky cap several times a week or multipe times a day, help quell fears by giving them an easy-open container. No one will have to worry about the tricky cap, spilling the jar’s contents, or accidentally shaking too many at once into their hand.
Organizing your vitamins is as important as organizing other parts of your daily routine. Just like keeping a certain space neat and clutter-free helps you keep a clear mind and stay on task, keeping your vitamins organized will help you remember to take them and making the process easier and more efficient. If you’re needing to remember your daily dose of vitamin D, vitamin C, or vitamin B12, or helping a family member to more easily access their vitamins, this is your solution!
References
- CDC: Dietary Supplement Use Among Adults
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db399.htm
- Mayo Clinic: Vitamin C
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-c/art-20363932
- Mayo Clinic: Vitamin B12
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-b12/art-20363663