Studies have shown that on average you spend 10 minutes a day looking for your phone, keys or other misplaced items. That equals 2.5 days per year. Losing your keys, in particular, can be very frustrating and often cause you many problems. If you ever find yourself in a situation like this, there are some things you can do in order to find your lost keys more easily.
1. Try to stay calm
First and foremost, as soon as you realize that your keys are missing, try not to lose your temper. It’s easy to get frustrated or even angry, but it won’t allow you to think clearly. Stay positive and calm, take a few deep breaths if you have to and move on with your search.
2. Retrace your steps
Try to form a mental image of what you were doing when you last saw the missing item. Think about what you were doing, where you were, what time it was, who was with you and retrace your steps with as much detail as possible.
3. Be methodical in your search
Don’t move from one room to another, going round in circles and searching without a purpose. If you do that, you will end up forgetting where you have already searched. Move to a different area, only when you have finished with another one.
4. Focus on cluttered areas
Although it sounds a bit counter-intuitive, searching for your lost keys in cluttered areas can be more efficient than searching in emptier spaces. The reason is simple: if your keys were “hiding” in a more obvious space, you would have found them by now.
5. Get a key finder
Last but not least, if you want to make your life easier, get a key finder. This little gadget will help you not only locate your keys when they are lost or misplaced but also notify you if you ever leave them behind. It will save you tons of time every day and prevent you from the frustrating situation that follows the loss of this valuable item.
