Lost in space

... and don't forget the moss! Don't you dare forget the moss! 🧐

... though, I suppose you could always just leave a few breadcrumbs behind...

says:
...

Anyway, hope that helps. 🙂 If anything else pops into my head, I'll drop a post. 🙂

Oh, for sure. I'm gonna try and actually use your advice. 😉 thx

says:

-> Driving must be quite a headache. I say "must be" because I don't actually drive myself...

Not really; it’s essentially the same thing 😉

Space isn't an issue for me, but seeing how my sister and father deal with it gives me a front-row seat to the chaos—which is quite entertaining for me, 🙂😁 though perhaps less so for 🤷 them...

Whenever I find myself navigating a road for the first time, instead of perceiving it in 3D, I mentally flatten it into a 2D layout—almost like looking down on a floor plan from above rather than actually walking or driving along the street—because that is how I construct my mental map.
Regarding the layout of the streets, mostly they follow a grid system, so I tend to visualize space as a series of parallel and perpendicular lines.
On top of that, I make note of certain landmarks along the way, such as a local diner, a specific tree, or perhaps a set of train tracks...

In the States, I always know where North is; if I find myself in an unfamiliar major city, I'll orient myself toward North on a map just to establish a reference point for building my internal mental model.

If the route becomes particularly complex, I simply rely on a map—something basic, like a paper tourist map 😁

I have never truly been lost to the point of total disorientation; I might take a wrong turn, but I never lose my sense of direction, so I always manage to find my way back... 🤷

That being said, I haven't the slightest clue how I would fare in the wilderness, say if someone were to suddenly drop me in the middle of a forest 🤔 Sure, I could look at the moss or check North at noon, but I've never actually had the opportunity to test that theory... 🤷

Look, moss isn't exactly the most reliable indicator anyway. Around here in the States, you usually see it creeping up pretty much the entire length of the trunk... 😁

casualharbor9 said:... and don't forget the moss! Don't you dare forget the moss! 🧐

... though, I suppose you could always just leave a few breadcrumbs behind...

Oh, and about that moss 🤣
I actually ended up getting totally lost in the woods the other day :asparagus: and honestly, a little bit of panic started creeping in because everywhere I looked, everything just looked exactly the same, and then I had this sudden, bright idea—I should go look for moss. But once I actually found some, I realized it wasn't going to help me at all since I still had absolutely no clue which way the city was facing, so it didn't really matter where I stood 🤣
So I eventually just started screaming, and luckily someone actually heard me 🙂

Honestly, I’ve always been completely hopeless when it comes to navigation—I can get lost in my own backyard if I don't have a GPS running. It’s such a disaster that I haven't even bothered getting my driver's license.

About 11 years ago, I was in a massive car wreck and ended up with some really nasty head injuries—a skull fracture and a brain contusion on the right side.

After about three years of therapy, everything pretty much went back to normal. Like, I don't feel any lasting effects from the accident itself, so I guess you could say I'm doing great.

Except...

I have this huge issue with spatial awareness. It's not even when I'm somewhere I know well, but whenever I'm in a new place. For instance, I could walk 500 meters from point A to point B ten times in a row without a hitch, but if there's a turn involved instead of just going straight, it feels like I'm seeing it for the first time every single time. There is zero chance I'll find my way on my own.
And yeah, I try to orient myself by memorizing landmarks along the way, but honestly—it just doesn't work.

I actually have the Brain Gym book translated by Tatiana Novosel. Those exercises were a lifesaver for my kid's schoolwork and behavior (we did them for 4 months), but there isn't a single exercise in there for the kind of spatial orientation stuff I need.

Can anyone point me toward a link or a book with specific exercises? This whole thing is starting to get on my nerves, I guess.😢

Jeffrey Fox4, look, to get things moving, you might want to check out this thread—though I'd suggest ignoring any of those gender-focused interpretations if they don't resonate with you 😁—and I think this particular post could be especially useful for you. Edit: actually, I see now that memorizing specific details isn't really working for you. Personally, when it comes to learning or remembering things, I’ve always found that making associations helps quite a bit. In this situation, it would be something like: "newsstand" —> my favorite newspaper. So, if your favorite paper is xy, then the clue for a certain location becomes xy, which basically means: turn left at the newsstand. I wonder if that kind of logic might work for you?

I don't know, I feel like I'd need to try that AGAIN, you know, when I'm actually stuck in some totally unfamiliar place.

I mean, I remember back in February, I was wandering around Cleveland for like HALF AN HOUR just trying to find a hospital—and it was literally only a 6 or 7 minute walk from my hotel.
It wasn't until the fourth day that I finally noticed this blue building facade and used it to figure out where I was.

I guess I can't really afford to play around and wait for some crisis to hit just to see if I can navigate again... I'd rather try to train my brain BEFOREhand, or whatever—basically working on that part of my head where the pieces clearly aren't clicking together quite right.

It’s entirely possible that part of what you're struggling with stems from the anxiety of not being able to find your destination. Personally, I think that's quite likely—after having some bad experiences in the past, it makes sense that you'd feel a bit on edge the next time you're out searching, and when panic sets in, it gets much harder to spot things. That said, looking for something on foot is definitely a different beast than doing it while driving. When you're behind the wheel, you have to juggle so many things at once—coordinating your movements, keeping up your speed, thinking ahead, and relying on your reflexes just to make sure you don't miss a turn or a street sign. So, if you happen to be driving, it might actually be a good idea to scout out certain locations on foot first (whenever that's feasible, of course).

Similarly, maps can be a massive help for drivers—and I'd bet they're just as useful for pedestrians. They really help you get a sense of where one thing sits in relation to another, and give you a better idea of which route to take to actually reach your goal.

If you find that you're a bit slow at picking up landmarks to orient yourself, maybe you could try forcing yourself to notice them more intentionally. For instance, when you first arrive somewhere, you could just pause for a moment and make a conscious effort to look around and list the things you see. Then, perhaps, try to mentally recall those landmarks an hour later, or even again later that evening. It might be worth seeing if that practice helps anything the following day.

I’ve got it bad. Like, really bad. To some people, I probably look straight-up broken.🙄 It’s not just that I can’t find my way around; it’s that I can’t even wrap my head around where things actually sit in space. Like, say building x and building y are on opposite sides of Chicago—I know where they both are, and I can get to them, sure. But if you ask me which one is further north, or how they line up relative to each other? Forget it. Zero chance. Not even close.🤷

Lisa Hernandez3 said:It’s entirely possible that part of what you're struggling with stems from the anxiety of not being able to find your destination. Personally, I think that's quite likely—after having some bad experiences in the past, it makes sense that you'd feel a bit on edge the next time you're out searching, and when panic sets in, it gets much harder to spot things. That said, looking for something on foot is definitely a different beast than doing it while driving. When you're behind the wheel, you have to juggle so many things at once—coordinating your movements, keeping up your speed, thinking ahead, and relying on your reflexes just to make sure you don't miss a turn or a street sign. So, if you happen to be driving, it might actually be a good idea to scout out certain locations on foot first (whenever that's feasible, of course).

Similarly, maps can be a massive help for drivers—and I'd bet they're just as useful for pedestrians. They really help you get a sense of where one thing sits in relation to another, and give you a better idea of which route to take to actually reach your goal.

If you find that you're a bit slow at picking up landmarks to orient yourself, maybe you could try forcing yourself to notice them more intentionally. For instance, when you first arrive somewhere, you could just pause for a moment and make a conscious effort to look around and list the things you see. Then, perhaps, try to mentally recall those landmarks an hour later, or even again later that evening. It might be worth seeing if that practice helps anything the following day.

That first bolded part seems like the most probable cause, given how things are right now.
The second bolded part is actually really solid advice—I hadn't really thought of that before, so thanks.

I didn't have this issue "back in my youth." Like I mentioned—this started happening after therapy following a car accident where I ended up with some pretty serious head injuries. The crash happened when I was 17, but this stuff didn't start kicking in until I was around 20 or 21.
I'm 28 now and, I guess, I'm a little scared of it, but it feels slightly better knowing there are tons of other people dealing with this who didn't even have a skull fracture or brain bruising🤷

That's why I've been scouring the internet for Brain Gym exercises to help with spatial awareness, but... I don't know, it's not really working for me..

I get it. Honestly, I can barely navigate my own neighborhood half the time 😁
but hey, you know what they say... if you don't ask, you'll never know 👍

I deal with this constantly. I lose my bearings in the middle of street grids, wandering through grocery store aisles—usually while trying to keep track of my dad at the mall—between warehouse racks, or navigating hallways at a new job. The worst part is that sudden, jarring sense of total disorientation where I just freeze, having no clue which way to turn, even if I’ve walked that exact path a dozen times before. Sometimes I’ll realize I’ve just been walking in circles. If anyone else deals with this, please weigh in with some advice. Should I start carrying a notepad around just to sketch out maps?

Seriously, could you maybe pay a little more attention to where you’re actually walking, for crying out loud? Like, use your head for once and think about more than just what's sitting on the grocery store shelves, okay?👋

I honestly feel completely lost in space and time right now, but I’m pretty sure I can blame the whole group for my current state of confusion. 😁

Maybe you could try focusing a little harder? Like, set some actual goals for yourself or really push to memorize those tiny details that might point you in the right direction. Honestly, if you feel like you need to scribble things down in a notebook just to keep your head straight—then go ahead and do it. 🙂

I honestly have zero sense of direction myself 😬
Finding my car in a crowded parking lot at a mall, remembering which side the door is on, or even just trying to navigate a hiking trail without getting totally turned around... I'm just hopeless at it all...

It’s all about practice! Once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to find your way around just fine. People always say women have a terrible sense of direction, but let's be honest—there are plenty of guys out there who couldn't find their way out of a paper bag either! Getting lost isn't just a minor inconvenience, though; sometimes it can turn into a total disaster... especially if you're wandering through a foreign country where you don't speak a word of the local language.

So, how do you actually learn this stuff??

Well, look, if you don't have a GPS or a map handy, the trick is to pick one permanent landmark—something massive, like a skyscraper, a huge shopping mall, or a stadium. Once you've got that anchor, try to memorize at least three other landmarks. Imagine you're walking through a crowded market in New Orleans—your first point might be a tall church steeple or some high-rise building visible from the narrow side streets. Then, spot a big department store nearby. After that, pick two more points, maybe a specific intersection or a famous monument, and mentally draw lines between them. You basically build a little mental grid in your head and navigate along those lines. It’s really not that hard, and honestly, with a bit of practice, you won't be getting lost anymore!

Back when I was out hiking with the scouts, they really tried to teach me how to find my way around, but there’s a massive difference between knowing the theory in my head and actually being able to use it without feeling completely lost in practice...
I honestly have zero sense of direction; if you spin me around left and right a couple of times, I’ll have absolutely no clue where I am anymore...
And don't even get me started on parking garages, those places are a total nightmare for me because even when I'm staring right at the signs, I still can't figure out which way I need to turn to find my car... everything just looks identical...
It’s easy enough when you're out in nature along the coast where you've got the mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, but once I wander behind one of those hills 😱

I’ve been the butt of everyone's jokes for ages because of my total lack of any sense of direction.🤣🤣
The other day, I actually managed to get lost right in the middle of downtown.🤦 Just some random streets I never normally walk down.🙄

But the best part? I have zero clue if I’m heading north, south, east, or west!🙏 I honestly can't tell where I am in relation to where I started—it's like being stuck in some massive maze!🤣🤣 😢