Supplements are generally a part of the work that I do with my clients. They’re tools that can help us fill in gaps in nutrition, eradicate pathogens in the gut, support faster healing, and more.
The thing with supplements is that they can be hard to remember to take! 💊
For supplementation to work well for us, we need to ensure that we’re being consistent with actually taking them. What with the million-and-one things that we have on the go at any given time, it’s not surprising that this is something many of us struggle with.
That’s why in this article, we’re going to be going over some simple tools and strategies you can use, to help you stick to your supplement routine, and get the best results from them possible.
Before we get into this, I just want to say that the first thing you need to do to be successful with your supplementation, is to get organized! Make sure you know which supplements you’re taking (and for which purpose), how you’re required to take them for, what the dosage is, and how many times per day you need to take them.
Here are some tips to help you set yourself up for success with your supplement protocol:
1. Keep “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” in Mind
We all know the saying. If your supplements are going to stay hidden in a cupboard in your kitchen, it might be really difficult to remember to take them on a consistent basis! One of the best ways to help yourself in sticking to your supplement routine is to keep them visible. An easy way to create a new habit is to stack it onto an existing habit onto. If you need to take something first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, keep it by your toothbrush.
You could keep your daytime supplements somewhere on your kitchen counter, and your nighttime supplements on your bedside table. You’ll be reminded when you go to have breakfast in the morning to take them, and likewise when you’re getting settled into bed for the evening.
2. Pick up a Supplement (Pill) Organizer
This is helpful for when you’re at home, but especially if you leave your house during the day for work, if you’re traveling, or if you’re out of your normal routine on any given day.
I’d recommend getting into the routine of picking one day a week (maybe a Sunday or Monday), to take 5 minutes and organize your supplements for the coming week. Review your protocol, and sort the appropriate pills into the appropriate time slots.
The key with this is to ensure that you have your pill organizer accessible to you throughout the day! Similar to the above, we want to make sure that it’s somewhere you can see it, so it’s easier for you to remember to take them. Likewise, pairing reminders (which we’ll cover next), with this organizer, is a great way to keep yourself on track.
If you’re traveling and you need to bring your supplements along with you, you may require more space than a normal week-long pill organizer. You can pick up a cheap, small tackle box, and use this to organize your supplements for your trip if you don’t have the room to bring along all of your bottles!
3. Try an App
There are apps for this! There are a ton of apps you can use, where you can fill in your supplement information, the dosage, and the time of day that you need to be taking them — and allow your phone to push notifications to you! If you want something that’s a little more targeted to specifically taking supplements (or pills) more regularly (versus setting an alarm for yourself, as we’re going to cover below), this might be a great option for you! Here are some that you can look into:
4. Set Alarms for Yourself
This is a simple tool, but an effective one! Similar to the apps above, setting an alarm on your phone 2-3 times per day, when you have to take your supplements, is a great way to hold yourself accountable and remind yourself to take them.
5. Print off your Supplement Schedule (and Keep it Somewhere Visible)
I create a supplement schedule chart for all my clients and tell them to print it off and stick it on the fridge.
If you have a hard time remembering which products to take when, and at which dosage, creating a supplement schedule and putting it somewhere visible can be a huge help. If a supplement schedule was provided to you by your practitioner, that’s great! If not, I’d recommend going into google sheets (or google docs), and making a quick table where you can fill in your supplement recommendations. You can also do this for yourself, even if you aren’t taking supplements as part of a protocol with a practitioner!
Tape it to your fridge. Tape it to your supplement cupboard (does everyone have these? just me?). Do whatever you need to, to ensure you’ll see it!
If you’re currently experiencing digestive issues, and are looking for someone to help guide you through what supplements you can take (in addition to nutrition and lifestyle!), to help heal your gut, definitely check out my program Gut Rehab where I help clients develop healing plans to restore their gut health.