How to Find a Misplaced Item
- 1). Calm down. If you start feeling anxiety your thinking will cloud up and you will have an even more difficult time recalling where the item might be. Sit down and take a few deep, controlled breaths. Breathe in through your nose and exhale deeply through your lips. The deep breathing will not only lower your stress level but also give you something to focus on, often allowing your subconscious to have greater recall.
- 2). Retrace your steps. It might sound trite, but it really does work. While you might be certain there is no way you could have set your cell phone in the freezer when you were taking out something for dinner, check anyway. When you have 50 different things going on you can do some unusual things.
- 3). Ask for help. Tell your spouse, your kids, even your dog that you are missing something. Your two year old just might toddle in with your keys.
- 4). Look again. If the item you are missing is typically in one specific place but you didn't find it there, double check. It could just be that you overlooked it. Also, look in the near vicinity. Is your couch directly under your key rack? Dig around the cushions in case your keys fell.
- 5). Check the mirror. How many times have you misplaced your glasses, only to find them smack dab on top of your head? If that doesn't work, look around the house again, saying the name of the item out loud. This will help you focus and find an item you might be looking right at but not seeing in your heightened state of alarm.
