Can’t Find Your Wallet, Glasses, Keys? Try This

Quick Win

Mental pictures make it easier to recall where you last placed an item.

Try This Today

• Don’t panic. Instead of frantic searching, try closing your eyes and visualizing all the usual spots where you tend to put the item.
• Mentally retrace your steps. If you still can't find it, take a moment to visualize the actions you took since you last saw it. Did you take out your wallet to find a credit card to make an online purchase? Maybe you had your keys in your hand but put them down when the phone rang? Conjuring up these images can help you recall where you put the missing item.
• Be proactive next time. As soon as you put your keys or glasses or wallet down, take a few seconds and create a mental picture of where you put it.

Why

Using visual cues can be an effective way to tap into your memory, according to AARP’s Global Council on Brain Health 2017 report “Engage Your Brain,” which suggests, “take time to examine visual characteristics of your surroundings and people around you. A lot of what people attribute to poor memory is not paying close attention.” A growing body of research has explored the link between visual images and memory function. For example, in a study published in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation in 2021 involving 48 older adults, half with mild cognitive impairment, those who completed a cognitive training program based on visual imagery performed better on some memory tests.