I've heard a similar technique: always picture the keys as "living on that shelf" or "sleeping in that bowl".
I do this, but I live with people who don't.
Therein lies the rub...
Ah yeah. Things moving behind your back. It's functionally equivalent to the house being haunted.
I get the same feeling working on a shared codebase...where'd I put that dang function now...
I find it just easier to develop a protocol on where the keys go. In fact, I organize my entire space so that everything has a place and as soon as I am done with it I put it back in the place. Reduces cognitive load. Since a thing is in a place every time, eventually my brain builds a detailed map of exactly where everything lives, even down to the inch within a shelf, drawer, etc. At this point I could almost operate blind.