Lost your wallet again? And you put your keys in your pocket, right? Where are those reading glasses when you need them? And how come we keep forgetting where we put our stuff?
(Amnesia
As humans, we have difficulty keeping an overview of our things. How is that possible? We still know the nursery rhymes by heart, can solve difficult math problems and can bring back old memories in no time. But knowing where you left your keys is okay.
Point of attention
Things often go wrong at the interface between attention and memory. When you throw your keys on the table, fumble your wallet in your pocket or throw the remote control on the couch, you are often busy with other things. The exact location of these objects is then not actively stored in your memory. The hippocampus, the part of your brain that manages the storage of information, must make a selection in all the information and thoughts that continuously pass by. Your remote control is not that high on the list, and you forget where that stupid device came from.
Fifteen minutes a week
Besides the fact that it is annoying that we can no longer find things, we also waste a lot of time on it. Quest conducted research via a survey and concluded that a third of the almost 3,500 respondents spent more than fifteen minutes looking for their belongings. That’s a lot of time, especially when you realize that your keys, your wallet, your glasses and the remote control probably all have a permanent place in the house.
Tips to lose things less often
Losing your stuff and the explanation we have given for this does not make it any less annoying. So here are a few tips to limit loss:
- Take a picture. From where you parked your car to where you put your glasses, this way you can see where you last left the item. This way you know it’s not really stolen.
- Provide fixed places. Maybe a bit standard, but many objects belong in a certain room. Simply place the remote control on the side table and hang the keys on the rack in the hall. This way you can always find them.
- Feel before you go. Always first check whether you have the holy trinity with you: your phone, your keys and your wallet. Don’t have something with you? Then take a good look around you.
- Say it out loud. Your memory works better if you say out loud where you put your things. You are much more active in placing things.
