We have ALL been there. You go to grab your keys… but they’re gone! This feeling is the worst for so many reasons, many which include the panic of not being able to get into your vehicle, being late to your appointment, and the dread that you might have to replace every single key on your key ring.

We have some simple tips that can help avoid some panic the next time this could happen.

First, retrace your steps. You probably just put them down somewhere and are walking past them over and over again and just looking in the incorrect spot. If something unexpected in your routine happened, there’s a good chance you put them down somewhere unusual. Head to the area and just look in all of the spots you could’ve thrown them down.

Another tip is to install something brightly colored like a key ring or lanyard, that way if they’re missing, that pop of color could easily catch your attention against the familiar decor of your home.

If you have a bag of purse that you carry around, or a jacket with lots of pockets, try checking those pockets you don’t normally use. While you might consciously not put anything in them, the relief of finally getting home means you may have simply thrown your keys into one of them haphazardly.

Another embarrassing place we can sometimes leave them are in the front door. You may have been simply so glad to get home, that you left them hanging in the lock at the door. Try not to be too embarrassed, we’ve all done it.

Another way to find those keys is to purchase an item specifically made for finding them. (Or anything else important you have tendency to misplace.) A small electronic a key chain can be linked to a phone, then activated with an app to emit a sound.

But how do you not loose them in the first place? Routine. The only sure fire way to make sure you don’t ever lose your keys, is to always put them in the same place every single time. Whether it’s a bowl by the front door, a hook next to the coats, or the same pocket in your bag, the only 100% way to never ever lose your keys by your own doing, is to just always know where they are.

So make it a priority to always put them away correctly each time and you’ll, hopefully, never have to worry about misplacing them again.