At first, I still thought I would remember everything myself. I soon realised that this was no longer realistic. Shopping lists, birthdays and appointments now all go into my phone.

My most important insight became: I do not need to remember everything. I only need to know where I can find it. That creates calm and removes a great deal of pressure from my memory.

One summer, I spent weeks looking for my favourite summer shirt. I thought it was lost and was close to buying another.

Eventually, I found it neatly folded in a cupboard in the attic. I had safely stored it there after the previous summer—and then completely forgotten.

We laughed so much. My mind had apparently chosen an excellent safe place, but my memory turned it into a remarkably well-kept secret.

Another time, I gave my daughter a cuddly toy at bedtime. She looked at me in surprise and said: “Mum, I already have that one.” Then she showed me a second, identical toy.

In my confusion, I had bought the same toy again because I thought the first was missing. Fortunately, forgetfulness can sometimes produce a funny surprise: twice the cuddly fun.

Creating structure in my day has helped enormously. Giving belongings a fixed place and doing things at regular times has brought more calm to my mind.

I always put my keys in the same place. Every morning, I check the notes and appointments on my phone. Small adjustments like these make a significant difference.

I learned not to see my memory only as something that limits me, but as something I can approach creatively. Technology, routines and sometimes life’s humour help me maintain an overview.

When I still forget something, I try not to judge myself immediately. Nobody is perfect—and neither is my memory.