Self Brain Health Guide

My Brain Check-In

A free help guide from Kind Path Guide

My Brain Check-In

A gentle, at-home memory and thinking check you can do on your birthday or every six months, then print and keep, so you can notice your own changes over time.

Checked October 23, 2026. Research figures and Medicare details change. Please confirm with your doctor before you rely on anything here.

Why a check-in, and why your own

Most of us notice small slips, a name on the tip of the tongue or a lost set of keys, and wonder if they mean something. Usually they do not. What tells the real story is change over time, measured against yourself. A short, steady check-in gives you a record of what is normal for you, and a clear page to hand your doctor if something shifts. It is one of the most reliable ways I know to turn a vague worry into a plan.

1 in 9adults aged 45 and older report memory or thinking problems getting worse over the past year
Under halfof them have talked about it with a health care provider
45%of dementia cases may be delayed or prevented by addressing 14 known risk factors, such as hearing loss and blood pressure
76 daysearlier diagnosis, on average, for people who had a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit

Sources: CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Subjective Cognitive Decline briefs. Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care, 2024 report. Tzeng and colleagues, JAMA, on Annual Wellness Visits and earlier diagnosis (UTMB Sealy Center on Aging summary, 2025).

This is not a medical test. It cannot diagnose anything, and there is no pass or fail. It is a personal record to help you and your doctor see patterns.

Not all brains are the same

This guide borrows a way of thinking from Teepa Snow, an occupational therapist and the founder of Positive Approach to Care. Her GEMS® model uses gemstones to describe different brain states. Every gem is precious, and each one has abilities that remain, so the question is never "what is wrong with this person" but "what can this brain do well right now, and what help would fit."

Two ideas from her work shape this check-in:

  • Every brain moves between states. A tired, ill, grieving or stressed brain works differently from the same brain on a rested day. That is why Step 1 asks how today is going.
  • Compare yourself with yourself. Language, schooling, hearing, culture, ADHD, autism, dyslexia and a lifetime of habits all shape how anyone does on a task like this. Your own past results are the only fair comparison.

To learn the full GEMS model, visit teepasnow.com. GEMS® is a registered trademark of Positive Approach, LLC. Kind Path Guide is not affiliated with Positive Approach to Care, and this check-in is not one of their tools.

Before you begin

  • Allow about 20 minutes, in a quiet spot, at a time of day when you usually feel good. Try to use the same time of day each check.
  • Have a pencil, two sheets of plain paper and a clock or phone timer.
  • Wear your glasses or hearing aids if you use them.
  • Do it on your own, then if you like, invite someone who knows you well to answer Step 4 with you.
  • Prefer paper? Print this page now and fill it in by hand. The boxes print blank.
1

About today

2 minutes

How often will you do this?
Using a different set each time keeps you from simply remembering last year's words.

How is today going? Tick anything that applies. These can lower anyone's results, so they belong on the record.

2

The activities

About 15 minutes, in this order

A. Three words to hold onto

Press the button, read the three words out loud twice, then hide them. Do not write them down. You will be asked for them at the very end.

B. A short story

Read this once, slowly, out loud. Then cover it or scroll past. Questions come in part G.

C. Today's facts

Without looking, say each answer out loud. Then check a calendar and tick the ones you got right.

D. Draw a clock

On plain paper, draw a round clock face with all the numbers, then draw the hands to show ten past eleven. Take your time. When finished, tick what is true. Keep the drawing with your printout.

E. Count backward

Start at 100 and take away 7, five times, saying or writing each answer. Then reveal the answers and tick each one you got. If one step was off but the next was 7 less than your answer, count it as right.

Numbers have never been your thing? That is fine. Tick nothing and write "not for me" in your notes, and do it the same way each time.

F. One minute of animals, and a trail

Animals: Set a timer for 60 seconds and name as many different animals as you can. Make a tally mark on paper for each one.

Trail: Copy these circles onto paper, scattered around the page. Then, timing yourself, draw one line joining them in this order: 1 to A to 2 to B, all the way to 6 to F.

1A2B3C4D5E6F

These two have no score. The number simply goes on your record so you can compare next time.

G. Back to the story and your words

Without looking back, answer these out loud. Then reveal and tick.

    Now, what were your three words? Say them, then reveal and tick each one you remembered on your own.

    3

    Everyday life

    3 minutes

    Compared with this time last year (or six months ago), tick anything that happens more often now. If someone who knows you well is with you, ask what they have noticed too.

    4

    My results

    Fills in as you go

    If you have last time's printout, copy those numbers into the "Last time" column. The change appears beside each one.

    Activity Today Last time Change

    For the trail, fewer seconds means quicker. For everyday life, a lower number means fewer new changes.

    Anything worth remembering: how you felt, what was easy or hard, what someone close to you noticed.

    Checks saved on this device

    These stay only in this browser, on this computer or phone, and can be lost if browsing data is cleared. Your printout is the record to keep.

      Reading your results

      • A point or two up or down is normal. Every brain has better and harder days, which is why Step 1 matters.
      • Look for a steady slide. The same activity dropping across two or more check-ins, or several new ticks in Everyday life, is worth raising with your doctor.
      • Many causes are treatable. Hearing or vision loss, poor sleep, low mood, a medicine side effect, low vitamin B12, thyroid changes and infections can all affect memory, and many improve with care.
      • Medicare covers a yearly check. If you have Medicare Part B, the Annual Wellness Visit includes a look at memory and thinking. Bring your printouts so your doctor sees your own history.

      Sudden change is different. Confusion that comes on over hours or days, trouble speaking, a drooping face or weakness on one side needs care the same day. Call 911 for stroke signs.

      What to ask your doctor

      • Could any of my medicines be affecting my memory or focus?
      • Should my hearing, vision, B12 or thyroid be checked?
      • Here are my check-in results over time. Do you see a pattern worth following up?
      • Is there a memory clinic or specialist you would suggest?
      • What can I do now for blood pressure, sleep, activity and staying connected?

      Next steps

      1. Print your record and keep it in one folder with your clock drawing.
      2. Put your next check-in date in your calendar now.
      3. Next time, use the next word set and copy today's numbers into "Last time".
      4. Bring your folder to your Annual Wellness Visit.

      This check-in is information to support your own record keeping. It is not a medical, psychological or diagnostic test, and it does not replace care from a licensed health professional. Kind Path Guide has no affiliation with Teepa Snow, Positive Approach to Care, or any organization named here.