I'm not sure how often - I certainly don't do them enough. Maybe every few hours or so? I just do them whenever it crosses my mind, and I don't think that's the best idea as that's only 4-5 times a day at most.

For dream recall, just write down whatever you can remember upon waking up. How often do you remember your dreams?

My favorite reality checks are 1) checking my watch and 2) trying to levitate above the ground. And just examining my surroundings for anything odd. They don't always work, but they've been fairly successful for me.