Q&A for How to Find Things You Lost

Unfortunately, yes. With the prevalence of identity theft, finding a real ID is like gold for a criminal. In the vast majority of cases, someone is probably going to find it and turn it in to a business or drop it off in a mailbox and it won't be a big deal. But (and this is a big but), if a criminal does get their hands on it they could absolutely do some damage.

Try to relax by drinking a calming tea, doing some yoga, meditating, or taking a walk. After about an hour, when your mind is clear and you are not stressed out anymore, try searching for the object again.

If it's reflective, put your eye down to the floor and shine a flashlight across it. If it's magnetic, buy a strong magnet and run it through cracks and along the floor. Put a nylon stocking over the end of a vacuum cleaner and vacuum the floor, checking the stocking to see what gets stuck there.

Think of the three H's -- that person's habits, hobbies and hang ups. These should help you to work out where that particular person might be likely to stash something valuable or important in the hope it won't be found. Have fun looking!

Check the lost and found first. If it's not there, look in the places you frequent in school, such as classrooms or the cafeteria. If you think you left it on the bus, speak to the administration that deals with the bus company, and tell them you lost something, and what bus you usually go on (number, name, etc.) If necessary, you may need to go to the bus depot itself, since most have a lost and found of their own. Talk to your teachers to ask if they have seen it. While the answer is most likely no, it could be yes, so don't be afraid to ask.

Come up with a daily routine: put your keys, glasses, etc. in exactly the same place every time. Get in the habit of saying locations out loud when you put something there, instead of waiting until you need to remember it. If you say "I am putting my wallet on the kitchen counter." or "I am parked in section C" you are much more likely to remember that later.

Look everywhere, even where you think it won't be. Look under furniture, and if you have a pet, then look places the pet might have taken it.

Begin with the lost and found box or room. If it's not there, keep an eye out for it for a day or two but if you see someone using it, tell them it's yours. If they won't give it back tell an adult and they will help you find it. If you don't see it and you're fairly certain someone has taken it, tell a teacher and/or your parents.

Retrace your steps, enlist the help of a friend to search for it and focus on the last time you saw it to retrieve your library card.

Keep it in perspective. Even losing your keys or a credit card is not worth getting stressed or angry. Repeat "I will find this." or "It's not so bad." as you search.

Tablet pens are small, so check in every crevice and cranny you can think of around your desk and the place you had it last.

Check everywhere in your room and in your house and if you dont find it then just wait but keep your eye out and you will eventually find it. It is misplaced, not lost.

Try to remember when you realized you lost it, and what you did that day.

Follow the same steps but think more about where you might have been the last time you saw it. Then check around the house and maybe even your favorite hangout or restaurant.

Take photographs of the places you're looking, and hold them up to your face to get a clear view. Dim the lights and move a flashlight around to check for reflections off the glass. Have a friend with better vision help you look.

Don't give up searching, but report the possible theft to the police as well. Put up flyers in your neighborhood offering a reward. Write "no questions asked" to encourage the thief to return it.

Look on the floor in all the rooms that the glasses were in before they were brought to you. Search under furniture. Try using a flashlight to see if the ring reflects.

Always retrace your steps. Look in plain sight, like under your bed or chairs, and always check your backpack. Look in cars, on tables, in cubbies or in your bed if you do homework there.

Clean your house and check anything you might have carried it in (bags, pockets, etc.). If you've already done all that this article suggests, then you might have to accept that it's fallen out somewhere never to be found again, in which case you'll need to buy that new small thing.

If your money went missing in a public place, there is a possibility that someone has taken it. Money is not always returned. However, leave a lost claim at the local police station and/or with the place where you think you may have lost it, as you never know. If lost at home or somewhere only you have access to, retrack where you're been, including all bags, purses, pockets and coin holding spots. If you have no luck, stop thinking about it and it may just resurface.

Stop for one second. Did you go to any classes after lunch? Search lost and found boxes. Remember if it's that important, you might want to replace it.

Check your closet floor, it could have fallen down or maybe you knocked it down while searching for something else. Make sure to check the laundry and ask your parents or siblings if they've seen it (or taken it). When was the last time your wore it? Did you spill something on it, and put it away? Maybe you got it wet, and put it somewhere else to dry. If possible, go to the place you were when you last remember wearing it. This may jog your memory.

Retrace the steps you've made that whole day, and take your time; the more frantic you are, the more likely you'll miss what you're looking for. It also helps having someone else help you look as well.

If it makes a sound when it gets an email or other notification, then try listening for that. If not, with some tablets you can track it with a retrieval program if you installed or activated one.

Ask someone who was with you during the time you last had it. Maybe you did something that you don't remember. You can also try to retrace your steps. Think of where you were that time. If you remember where you were, such as if you lost it in your room, clean your room you have a better chance of finding it. Be sure to check with all stores you were in the day you lost it.

First, ask the people you live with to see if they know where it is. Then, conduct a thorough search of your room, starting with behind and under your bed.

Look first, decide about other options later. Check every pocket of every bag you use and every item of clothing you own. Check down the back of furniture, near all electronic outlets and wherever you stash digital gear. Think about whether a friend or sibling might have borrowed them. Ask others. After all that, if they still don't turn up, you'll need to get new ones. If you're not able to afford much, the lower end ones are still reasonable in terms of listening quality and will tide you over until you've saved up.

Go back to the last place you have been or walkways you have been on the last time. Check the stores near where you walked, as someone may have handed them in to lost property.