Before you start searching and moving things around you out of the way, take a moment for some quick detective work in your head.

A short pause to think about what you did with your missing keys during the day will only take a minute, it won’t make your lost keys any more lost, but it might help you find them a little faster!

We mean that literally and figuratively. Don’t search blindly, check the pockets on you first, your bag or backpack second and your immediate surroundings third.

Most of the time, we don’t actually lose our keys, we just put them in the wrong pocket or misplace them somewhere nearby because we get distracted.

Yes, your keys can fall out of your pocket during a hike or a run, but most of the time, you misplace your keys in your home, your car or at the office, where you put them down without thinking and then immediately forget about them.

If you just came home, did you put away the groceries, take something out to the trash bin or did you maybe put your dirty gym clothes in the wash?

If your keys are in your hand one moment, but gone the next, they could just be laying on a convenient surface somewhere around your home.

At home or at work, we tend to put the same things in the same place or in the same general area. But this is not true of places we only visit every now and then.

If you were in a café or a shop before your keys went missing, take a moment and try to remember your actions.

Did you put your things down somewhere near you? Did you empty out your pockets or your purse when you were looking for something?

Ok, this one might take a little longer than a minute but thinking about the last time you used your keys will jog your memory of what you did with them next.

If you remember opening the door, you probably also remember what happened next and how you reacted.

Were you greeted by a child or a pet and maybe put your keys down to greet them back? Or were you on the phone, taking off your shoes and coat at the same time?

Car keys are mostly shared and even if you have your own set, chances are you already borrowed your significant other’s car keys when you couldn’t find your own.

Check with your family and make sure they didn’t borrow your keys to take something out of the car or pop out to the store.

If you go to the store or to the gym, you immediately add a bag or two to your lot. It’s easy to lose track of your keys or where you put them, when you’re juggling a few extra bags at the door or on your way to the car.

Check any convenient pockets on your gym bag or look inside the grocery bag before you start a search around your home. You might save yourself some time!