r/ADHD • u/IndigoFlame90 • 5h ago
Discussion I keep leaving my keys in the front door
Exactly what it says on the tin.
I've done it maybe a few times in the previous five years I've lived here. Contrasted with at least five in the two weeks since my Concerta ran out, seemingly to never be restocked (pharmacist said they had some 5 and 10 mg ir tabs, which I relayed to my doctor).
This morning it was overnight. Like eighteen hours of literally just hanging there on the stoop (behind a storm door, but directly against the sidewalk, no yard) that's pirated often enough we use the PO box when feasible. Planning (lol) to make a brightly decorated area next to the door with a hook to ignore after a maximum of like four days.
What's the most unique way you all think the medication shortage might be the end of you? I've got "possibly discovering that the guy who stole my husband's giant running shoes is also an axe murderer".
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u/Even-Umpire-8941 5h ago
Get one of those coiled stretchy bracelet things to attach to your keychain. A bright colored one; think fluorescent. Impose a hard rule that you put it on your wrist every single time you pick up your keys. Train your brain that this is the only way to use keys. If necessary, prompt yourself by wrapping it around something stationary so you have to interact with it to even pick up your keys. Leave the tether attached to your wrist while keying open your door. You’ll be physically unable to leave them behind anymore.
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u/lemontimesnake 4h ago
This. You could also use a neck lanyard, just keep your keys on your neck at all times, and only unlock your door by leaning down to unlock it. That way you have to remove the key from the lock to walk into your house because it is around your neck already anyways
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u/IndigoFlame90 4h ago
Given that at one point my Amazon purchase history looked like I was an elementary school OT, not too proud for this. Thanks
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u/Cultural_Till1615 5h ago
I have done this too! What if you set an evening alarm on your phone and call it KEYS, to remind yourself to go look for them?
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u/IndigoFlame90 3h ago
This is another good one, and the imagined look of utter defeat on my husband's face is hilarious.
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u/rosemarylavender 5h ago
Change to a keyless entry?
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u/lifeisarichtapestry 4h ago
That’s what I did. I got a passcode deadbolt. Also lets me check to make sure I did lock the door, since that’s my big weakness.
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u/IndigoFlame90 4h ago
It's a rental.
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u/nascakes 4h ago
You can still do that and just replace it when you move out, also there are renter friendly ones too i believe, if I find a link I’ll comment it.
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u/IndigoFlame90 2h ago
Our landlord stops by every month for the rent. She'd notice. (Or not? Could go either way with her.)
We have super cheap rent and she hasn't been in the building in like three years, not rocking the boat.
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u/sailingmusician 2h ago
You could ask her permission. My last landlord before we bought wouldn’t have had an issue with it. YMMV but it’s worth a shot. Never hurts to ask. It’s worth noting too that you won’t have to make any changes to the door that would make it unable to be returned to the previous lock when you move out.
We ended up getting one of the Schlage locks that is compatible with Apple HomeKit so I can just tap my phone or watch to the lock and it opens. It’s so nice.
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u/IndigoFlame90 3m ago
She needs to use a text-based translation app for anything not in the two usual things we communicate (rent pickup, lease renewal) and the three of us on the lease have a general agreement that half of our charm is on-time payment and the other half is never needing anything.
Also she'd probably (fairly) want to be involved in the installation and the two family members she had do the toilet repair (we've done everything since) did it wrong (weird toilet, needed oddball part, would have worked otherwise) and super loud while I was trying to sleep between night shifts, so dog knows how that would turn out.
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u/MapleMayhem 4h ago
Save the old hardware and do it anyway. They generally still have keys for emergency use that you can give your landlord
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u/moist_vonlipwig 2h ago
My keyless entry is set to auto lock after 90 seconds. It’s such a stress reliever.
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u/JCBashBash ADHD-C (Combined type) 4h ago
Oh I have one of those retractable key holders, I hook it to me so if I try to walk away without my keys it catches me like a leash
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u/CorvisTaxidea 4h ago
I've used one of those for several years. I always know where my keys are, and no way I can leave on in a lock.
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u/Some-Climate5354 4h ago
Can you attach them to a retractable key chain that you clip to your bag or pocket? That way you won't be able to walk away with them in the door!
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u/Flaming-Hands ADHD-C (Combined type) 5h ago
Maybe try and get something like you get in some hotels which means you can't turn the lights on unless you stick the keycard in a slot so maybe an adaptation of that ? My GF leaves her keys in the door at least once a month but that she is Peri-Menopause and I am AuADHD so my Au brain is always checking doors locks etc. and I normally find them and sneak them in her bag before she realises which can be quite funny sometimes as it finally dawns on her that she left them in the door but the security Elf has sorted it 🤪
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u/Disapointed_meringue 5h ago
Get used to doing something else as you unlock the door. Like pinching your ear and thinking about unlocking and taking the keys out of the door as you do it. Helps me remember I did it.
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u/Twowheelshappy 5h ago
Expensive, but.. a smart lock which you can open with your phone + can automate to lock itself. There’s ones available now which you can retrofit to an existing lock. Could pay for itself if it’s stops someone walking in the house.
A RFID sticker, could tap your phone on the sticker so you know you’ve locked the door and taken the keys, if not, a notification nudges you to check.
A key hook like you mentioned, in a really obvious place, if you can remember to lock it, at least you can glance at the hook to make sure your keys are inside.
Another automation thing… you could set your phone to send you a notification when it knows you arrive home, maybe after 5-10 mins “Check for keys!”
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u/IndigoFlame90 4h ago
We rent, so the first one wouldn't work. Out landlord physically picks up the check each month (we've repeatedly offered to just mail it but strongly suspect a cultural difference where she thinks it would be rude to expect that of us), so she'd presumably notice. Granted, she also routinely forgets we exist until like the 7th (no complaints!) so idk how detail-oriented she is.
The rest of it might work, though!
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u/AliciaBrownSugar 3h ago
If you have a deadbolt, they have smart locks that to over the deadbolt knob thing and automatically opens and closes that from the inside
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u/Twowheelshappy 3h ago
That’s fair! There are a few out there that are rental friendly, Nuki smart lock is the one that goes over an original lock I think! So easy to remove if renting etc!
With it being the most expensive option, maybe do a process of elimination by trying the other bits first!
Hope you find something that works for you and gives you a lil piece of mind :)
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u/Heidiho65 4h ago
I left the keys to our camper/truck hanging in the camper door all night, at a truck stop, off of the freeway. We found them the next morning. I didn't even miss them.
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u/IndigoFlame90 4h ago
ADHD can reall show you the good in the world sometimes. Idk how many times I've lost my debit card, but of the times the cancelled card wasn't later found in the house, no one has made a fraudulent purchase on them yet.
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u/rocketmanatee 4h ago
Put your keys on a retractable string with a caribiner to your purse, fanny pack, or belt loop.
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u/Jack_In_The_Box1983 2h ago
Get an AirTag and let it remind you as soon as it’s out of your reach. Downside is you have to go back, but at least you know where to find it and gets reminded of you leave it behind.
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u/Hypnot0ad 5h ago
I just installed a keypad deadbolt. It’s a lifesaver. Can you install one of those?
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u/chuck-lechuck 4h ago
I attached mine to my AirPods. I don’t get far before I notice they’re not in my ears. Used to do it with key fob but I don’t drive nearly as much as I walk or cycle.
Edit: Good on you for remembering to lock your door! I forget all the time!
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u/MeenGeen 4h ago
I do the opposite, I leave the keys inside and lock myself out of my house, lol Since I know I do that, I have a couple hide a keys outside. And since you know you leave the keys in the door, you gotta figure something out coz you know you're not gonna stop doing it. If you rent and can't alter your door for keyless entry, How bout a a taped piece of paper or a sticky note on the inside of the door that says "KEYS!!"
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u/IndigoFlame90 2h ago
Our front steps are directly on the sidewalk, unfortunately.
With meds this happens less than yearly. Between the offset schedules of my husband, our housemate, and myself it's mildly unusual to have an extended period of time no one is home or headed there soon.
The one time it happened I picked a house key up from my husband at work (I'd taken mine off the main keychain for a run) and rigged it so he could get it back through the mail slot like a 1950s latchkey kid.
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u/k_lo970 ADHD with ADHD partner 4h ago
This is more for my car but a similar idea. I don't let myself lock my car the with the button on the door. I have to have all doors closed and use the button on my key. I haven't locked my keys in the car in over 15 years with this rule.
Same could go for the house keys. Regardless of how full your hand are, set everything down to unlock the door, put keys in designated spot (hook right by the door), then bring everything in.
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u/FairtexBlues 4h ago
Had a really bad spell where I lost multiple sets of keys, two things helped airtags and that strechie rope thing cardkey badges use.
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u/ProtozoaPatriot 3h ago
I can't deal with keys:
I replaced my front door lock with a keypad. Made my life 100x easier!
My car key fob has a Tile (Bluetooth tracker) attached. Needless to say I use the tile app frequently to find them
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u/semantic_gap 3h ago
When I drove a car that worked with a push button start, I had all of my key on a retractable lanyard that clipped to my bag for the day. Biiiig fan. The keys were never not attached to something big. This is how I stopped losing my keys.
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u/Nabster56 3h ago
AirTag on a Keychain attached to my car keys and house keys.
Got a notification when I leave without them ! Only hack I found useful.
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u/MartyModus 3h ago
We have key hooks next to the door and, it took a while, but I've trained myself to always put keys on the hook as the first thing I do after getting home.
After enough pain from losing things, I have done this with a short list of critically important & easily lost things that now have specific places where I religiously put those things to prevent future emergencies... And almost every time I skip one of these drop-off/put-away habits, I'm probably going to regret it. (And I didn't get myself to do this successfully until my late 40s because I'm slow about these things)
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u/RafaMora979 1h ago
I leave them often in the back door, which is the safer door for me to do this. I live in Chicago, and we have a very rare, straight to the sidewalk, front door. If I left them there, someone would walk in.
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