Losing things is quite a common occurrence. Almost everyone has lost or misplaced something in their life. It is estimated that an average person loses 3000 items in their lifetime and spend about one year of their life searching for them. Statistics also show that about two-thirds of Americans spend about $50 annually replacing lost items. Some of the most commonly lost items include Smartphones, keys, wallets, and TV Remotes, among others.
But why exactly do we lose things what can be done to prevent it?
Why Do We Lose Things
There are many reasons why humans are susceptible to losing things. Some of the most common ones include:
Normal Forgetfulness
Forgetting is a natural process through which the brain replaces old information with newer information that it considers more useful and relevant. Unfortunately, some of the information that the brain might consider irrelevant may be needed for you to remember where you placed your keys, mobile phone, or wallet, and if it has been deleted, you will have to spend some time trying to figure out where you placed some of your everyday items. As such, normal forgetfulness is one of the main reasons why we end up misplacing or even losing some of our belongings.
Stress, Fatigue, and Multitasking
Modern life is very busy and demanding. Imagine all the things you need to do in a day: preparing children for school, cleaning your house, going to work, filling some documents, visiting a dentist, and picking children from school, among others. Sometimes, there is less time in a day than you need to accomplish all the tasks, and you may be forced to multitask. Consequently, fatigue and mental stress will eventually catch up with you, compromising your cognitive abilities. When this happens, you might end up forgetting essential things, including where you placed your mobile phone or even where you parked your car.
We Are Humans
Another reason why we lose things is simply that we are humans, and we have things to lose. If you had nothing, you wouldn’t have to worry about losing something. But since we are the most advanced life form known, we have made or bought a lot of items to make our lives more convenient, and we cannot even imagine how our lives would be without them. Unfortunately, this also means we have more things we are likely to lose.
Human Mind is Limited
Modern life is extremely complicated, and therefore, there are a lot of challenges that you have to contend with on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the human mind is limited, and it can only handle so much. This means that we are likely to be overwhelmed by the complexities of our world, which makes us susceptible to forgetting and losing our everyday items.
What is The Solution for Losing Things?
From the foregoing, it is clear that losing things is human nature, and whether we like it or not, it will happen in one way or another. However, this does not mean that we are entirely helpless. Indeed, having known that we all have this weakness, there are several things we can start doing right away to minimize the risk of losing our everyday items. Some of the steps that you can take to this end include:
Reorganize Your House
Lack of an organizational paradigm in your house is one of the reasons why you tend to misplace your everyday items. This is because you end placing your things all over the place, creating randomness with which your brain cannot keep up. For you to stop misplacing things in your house, you need to reorganize it and have designated places to keep the items you are most likely to misplace. For instance, you can have a bowl on a table beside the door where you can place your keys when you come house. You can also have a drawer dedicated for items such as wallet, car keys, and glasses, among others, and ensure that you put the items there when you are not using them. It is also important for you to get rid of clutter to make it easier for you to locate items when they go missing.
Be Mindful When Putting Things Away
This has to do with paying attention as opposed to flinging stuff willy-nilly. If you have a habit of misplacing a particular item say your TV remote, you need to pause and take and second to focus on what is going on next time you are putting it down. This will help you to build up a mental map that can help you to easily locate your everyday items.
Invest in SpotyPal
SpotyPal is a Bluetooth item finder that can help you to easily locate your missing items. When you attach the device to an item you are likely to lose, you can use your Smartphone to locate the item in case it goes missing.
The device also has a two-way separation alert, and therefore, it can also function as a phone finder. For instance, when you forget your phone, the device will ring to notify you before going too far. Therefore, in addition to helping you find missing items easily, SpotyPal can help with ensuring that you do not lose them in the first place.
The Bottom Line
Overall, it is apparent that losing everyday items is a problem that a lot of people struggle with. Unfortunately, this means that they have to spend a lot of time and money looking for missing items and replacing the lost ones. The good news is that we are not helpless since there are deliberate steps that we can all take to avoid losing our everyday items. For instance, if there is an item that you tend to misplace all the time, you can have a designated area where you can always place it when you are not using it. But the most effective solution to this problem involves the use of smart devices, such as the SpotyPal item finder. The device has features that will make it easier for you to find your missing items or even avoid losing them in the first place.