13 ADHD Forgetfulness Examples in Different Settings

If you have ADHD, forgetfulness usually isn’t a small, occasional thing. It's finding wet laundry sitting in the washer for three days, walking into a room and forgetting why you’re there, or missing a meeting you genuinely planned to attend. And often, the hardest part isn’t even the forgetting—it’s the guilt and frustration that come afterward, plus the quiet wondering about why remembering seems easier for everyone else.

There’s a real reason this happens. ADHD affects working memory and executive function, the brain systems that help you hold onto information and follow through on tasks. That means forgetfulness isn't a sign of laziness or not caring; it's a neurological difference in how your brain processes and organizes information. When you start noticing the specific patterns of where things tend to fall through the cracks, you can begin building supports that actually fit the way your brain works.

In this post, we’ll walk through common examples of ADHD forgetfulness across different settings: at home, at work, in social situations, and beyond. You’ll probably recognize yourself in more than a few, and that recognition can be surprisingly validating. Sometimes the most helpful thought is simply, “Oh…it’s not just me.”

At Home

Example 1: The Laundry Loop

• What it is: Forgetting wet laundry in the washing machine
• Scenario: You put a load in before making breakfast, get absorbed in something else, and rediscover musty clothes two days later that need rewashing.

Example 2: The Burning Question

• What it is: Starting to cook something and walking away
• Scenario: You put water on to boil for pasta, go to quickly check your phone in another room, and only remember 20 minutes later when you smell something burning or hear the smoke alarm.

Example 3: Object Permanence Struggles

• What it is: Forgetting items exist once they're out of sight
• Scenario: You put leftovers in the fridge, they get pushed to the back, and you discover them weeks later as an unidentifiable science experiment.

At Work

Example 4: The Meeting Ghost

• What it is: Forgetting about scheduled meetings or appointments
• Scenario: You accept a meeting invitation, don't add it to your visible calendar, and your coworker has to message you 10 minutes in asking where you are.

Example 5: The Half-Finished Email

• What it is: Starting tasks and completely forgetting to complete them
• Scenario: You draft an important email response, get distracted by an incoming message, switch tasks, and never hit send—realizing days later when someone follows up.

Example 6: The Where Did I Put That?

• What it is: Losing important work items repeatedly
• Scenario: You set down your security badge/keys/phone while making coffee, can't find it when you need to leave, and spend 15 minutes searching before finding it in the refrigerator.

In Social Settings

Example 7: The Special Occasion Slip

• What it is: Forgetting birthdays, anniversaries, or important events
• Scenario: Your best friend's birthday passes without you remembering, despite them mentioning it the week before, and you feel terrible when you see the photos on social media.

Example 8: The Conversation Vanish

• What it is: Forgetting what someone just told you
• Scenario: A friend shares important news during lunch, you genuinely listen, but when your partner asks about it later that evening, you can't recall what they said.

Example 9: The Commitment Conundrum

• What it is: Forgetting you agreed to plans
• Scenario: You enthusiastically agree to help a friend move on Saturday, make other plans on Friday, and only remember your original commitment when your friend calls asking when you'll arrive.

While Running Errands

Example 10: The Grocery Store Loop

• What it is: Forgetting why you went to a specific location
• Scenario: You drive to the store for one specific item, get distracted by other things, leave with a full cart, and realize when you get home you forgot the one thing you actually needed.

Example 11: The Parking Lot Mystery

• What it is: Forgetting where you parked your car
• Scenario: You park at a large shopping center, don't note the location, and spend 20 minutes wandering rows of cars clicking your key fob.

Personal Care & Health

Example 12: The Medication Puzzle

• What it is: Forgetting if you took your medication
• Scenario: You stand in front of your pill organizer unable to remember if you took your morning dose, creating anxiety about either missing it or double-dosing.

Example 13: The Appointment No-Show

• What it is: Forgetting medical or dental appointments
• Scenario: You make a doctor's appointment, it's weeks away, and despite confirmation texts, you completely forget until they call to ask why you didn't show up.

Understanding Why This Happens & What Helps

Why Your Brain Does This

ADHD-related forgetfulness isn’t a personal failing. It comes down to differences in working memory: the mental space your brain uses to hold information while you’re doing something else. You can think of it like having a much smaller desk space to keep information visible while you work. When something new catches your attention, items on that mental desk get knocked off without you even realizing it.

Executive dysfunction also plays a big role. The systems responsible for planning, organizing, and following through don’t always fire consistently, which is why you can genuinely intend to remember something and still lose track of it moments later. The intention is there; the follow-through just doesn’t always connect.

It’s also important to know that forgetfulness tends to get worse when you’re stressed, overwhelmed, or running on too little sleep. That doesn’t mean your ADHD is “getting worse.” It means your brain has fewer resources available, making it even harder for working memory to do its job.

What Actually Helps

The most important shift you can make is accepting that you need external systems, and that's completely okay. Your brain works differently, so you need tools designed for how it actually functions, not how you wish it functioned.

• Make things visible. If you can't see it, it doesn't exist to your ADHD brain. Keep important items in the same spot every single time. Use open storage instead of closed drawers. Put reminders where you'll actually encounter them, like sticky notes on your bathroom mirror or your car steering wheel.
• Embrace phone alarms and calendar notifications. Set multiple reminders for important tasks and appointments. Many people with ADHD set alarms for 1 day before, 1 hour before, and 15 minutes before events. Yes, it feels like overkill. But it works.
• Build routines that don't rely on memory. Do things immediately when you think of them, or create automatic habits tied to existing activities. Take your medication right after brushing your teeth. Put your keys in your bag the moment you walk in the door. Plug your phone in at the same spot every night.
• Use body doubling for accountability. Having someone else present, even virtually, can help you stay on task and remember to complete things. This is why coworking sessions or simply being on the phone with someone while doing chores can be so effective.
• Reduce the shame. This might be the most important strategy of all. Every minute you spend beating yourself up for forgetting is a minute you could spend building a system to prevent it next time. Your forgetfulness is a symptom of how your brain is wired, not a reflection of your character or capabilities.

The goal isn't to become someone who never forgets anything. That's unrealistic for anyone, ADHD or not. 

Instead, it's more effective to focus on build scaffolding around your life that catches you when your working memory inevitably fails. When you stop fighting against your brain and start working with it, managing forgetfulness becomes so much easier.

Moving Forward with Understanding

Living with ADHD-related forgetfulness can be exhausting and isolating, but it doesn’t define who you are or what you’re capable of. The examples in this post aren’t personal failures. They’re common expressions of a neurodevelopmental condition that responds well to the right tools, systems, and support. With strategies that fit your brain and a healthy dose of self-compassion, it’s absolutely possible to reduce how much forgetfulness impacts your day-to-day life.

If you’re struggling, you don’t have to figure it out alone. An ADHD coach, therapist, or psychiatrist can help you build personalized approaches that actually work for you. You deserve to move through your days with less stress and more confidence, and with the right support, that’s well within reach.