How to Stop Losing Things: From Organization to Zipper Shorts

If you’re constantly losing things, chances are you live in a vicious cycle of frustration, lost time, and wasted money. 

Time that could be otherwise productive is dedicated to frantically seeking misplaced items. Money that could be invested or saved is instead used to replace missing things. It’s frustrating and often embarrassing. 

What’s more, is it’s one thing to lose a personal item, but even worse if you lose something that belongs to a buddy. That super awk convo where you ‘fess up’ or the amount of energy you spend hoping, wishing, and praying they never ask you to return it. Ugh, we’re stressed just thinking about it!

Losing stuff sucks. And can make even the sanest person crazy. And trust us -- crazy isn’t a cute look. So before you go losing your marbles (or your mind), read on to learn about some of the best hacks to stop losing things.  

Why Do We Lose Things? 

The list of possible causes for misplacing things might be endless. As with life, there are a tremendous number of variables and complicating factors. It’s probably not as simple as, “here it is, the sole culprit behind why I can’t find things” and rather a combo of different reasons. That said, considering the common causes can help us identify our own triggers -- which is actually the first step toward limiting how much we lose things.  

So, what are some of the most common reasons why we’re constantly losing things? We’ll tell you:

• You lack organization: If you’re not a particularly organized person, chances are you lose things more than the average Joe. Clutter can easily cause things to become misplaced. 

• You’re a multitasker: Ever have a million things going on at once, and all of a sudden, you can’t find your phone? Your keys? Your wallet? Your lunch? If you’re a busy bee living life on the go, chances are you’re also trying to multitask. Several studies have shown that high multitaskers experience greater problems focusing on important and complicated tasks and may also show worse memory because they have lower sustained attention ability. That said, if you’re a frequent multitasker, you may have trouble remembering where you leave things. 

• You don’t properly secure your belongings: In some cases, we lose things because, well, we get robbed. From home break-ins to pickpocketing, if we don’t keep our valuables properly secured, it’s free game for anyone looking to take advantage of you.

• You’re human: As painful as these lost-item experiences are, we are notoriously bad at learning from them. Losing stuff happens, and if we don’t learn and adapt, we’ll just keep losing our things. For instance, if you keep losing your phone in the car, rather than continuously stressing yourself out trying to find it behind the seats, don’t you think it would be beneficial to get a phone holder? Be smart and learn from stressful experiences to save yourself from a headache or two in the future.  

Hacks To Stop Losing Your Things 

Now that you know some of the top reasons why we misplace stuff, let’s talk about some awesome hacks to prevent losing our things in the first place. 

Don’t Silence Your Cell Phone, EVER

Silence or vibrate mode should not be the default setting on your phone. Yes, you might need to silence your phone occasionally, like if you’re in class or a work meeting, but get into the habit of changing the device to a setting that makes noise as often as you can. If you lose your phone, you can always just ask your buddy to call it.

Wear A Lanyard Or Small Pouch 

This simple tip is perfect for keys, IDs, sunnies, and other small items that may get lost during the shuffle of daily life. You can purchase a lanyard or small pouch online or at any convenience store. Attach or store the item in question and wear it at all times when you’re out and about. 

Stay Organized As Much As Possible 

Clutter is the number one enemy and is one of the main reasons why we lose things or have trouble finding them (as mentioned above). For example, if you have mountains of paper on your desk and are often looking for important documents, then it’s probably time to clean up and put together some sort of organizing system that works best for you. 

Don’t simply toss your keys, cards, or wallet onto the nearest flat surface. Try to nail down an area to store each item. Get into the habit of always placing the items there when you return home every day. 

Wear Clothes With Secure Pockets 

We’re not saying you need to wear pants with heavy-duty pockets and zipper systems up and down the leg, but clothes with one or two secure pockets can be extremely beneficial. Many shorts today have either ridiculously small pockets or no pockets at all, which can make carrying important items from place to place really challenging. And if you’re someone who prefers not to carry a bag of some sort, it could mean that you need to either squash all of your things into teeny, tiny pockets, or carry them. 

What’s more, is not only can that increase the chances of your stuff falling out of your pockets or placing things down and totally forgetting to pick them up, but overstuffed pockets are basically begging to get pickpocketed. 

Not sure where to get awesome shorts with secure pockets for all your things? Head on over to Culprit, where you’ll find the best shorts on the planet. These breathable mesh zipper shorts are insanely comfortable with a soft antimicrobial jersey liner to keep your junk smelling like flowers all day long (Okay, maybe not flowers, but you get the point). And the best part? The zipper pockets on these bad boys make sure you never lose your valuables like your keys, phone, wallet, or emergency chicken nuggets (hey, you never know). 

You might be wondering how these zipper pockets are any different from other zipper pockets. Well, friend, we’ll tell you. Culprit designed the zippers to zip down instead of up, so it’s much easier to close the pockets with gravity. Zip down pockets are seriously a game-changer and a must for anyone trying not to lose their stuff. 

Don’t Leave Your Personal Items Unattended 

Did you walk away from your laptop or handbag for “just one minute” only to find it missing? We know it’s pretty basic stuff, but seriously, never ever let your personal belongings out of your sight in public. Remember, thieves only need one chance to swipe your stuff -- don’t give them that opportunity. 

Stick With One Bag, Purse, Or Briefcase 

Rather than carrying around two or more bags, try consolidating your things into one bag. By doing this, you’ll only have one thing to keep track of instead of several. If you prefer to switch or change out the contents of your bag on a regular basis, you may find it beneficial to buy a purse or bag organizer. This allows you to move items from one bag to another with ease and lessens the risk of leaving something behind. 

Bottom Line

Losing our things can be extremely stressful, frustrating, and not to mention just downright embarrassing. It can cause us to spend hours of our valuable time searching and retracing our steps, ultimately leading to more frustration as any glimmer of hope to finding what we’ve lost slowly fades away.

Thankfully, there are many things you can do to help minimize the risk of misplacing your things, such as wearing shorts with secure pockets -- like the ones from Culprit. 

Culprit Underwear might be best known for making some of the greatest undies around, but it’s about time the world gets familiar with their Mesh Zipper Shorts. Why? Because they’re comfy AF -- that’s why! Other than providing unparalleled comfort, these deliciously soft shorts are made with innovative zip down pockets to keep your stuff exactly where you want them -- in your pants. 

Check out Culprit Underwear today, and stop losing your things tomorrow!

Sources:

Media Multitasking Disrupts Memory, Even in Young Adults | Scientific American

PICKPOCKETING | Cambridge English Dictionary

5 Things You Should Know About Stress | NIMH