More Advice for the Directionally Challenged

Hello, Dr. Knough here again. If you’ve ever found yourself walking confidently in the wrong direction, just know that you’re in good company. Many bright, capable people struggle with navigating the world — not because they’re careless, but because their brains process space differently.

If you’ve been following my work, you already know that improving your sense of direction isn’t about being “perfect”—it’s about becoming aware. Many people assume that good navigators are born with a special talent, but in truth, they simply use habits that allow their minds to build better maps.

Today, I want to walk you through another five practical strategies that can make navigation easier, calmer, and much more enjoyable. These aren’t tricks and they aren't time-consuming. They’re gentle tools that you can weave into your daily life, in just a few seconds, to strengthen your internal sense of direction one small step at a time.

Let’s explore them together, one mindful step at a time.

1. Regularly Look Behind You

This is a powerful technique that many people never use.

Why it works: The view behind you on a return trip is totally different. Turning around briefly helps you memorize both directions of a path.

Try doing this at:

• Stairwells

• Hallways

• Outdoor paths

• Mall corridors. It really helps.

2. Use the “Compass in the Sky”

Notice how the sun, shadows, or clouds shift.

• Morning = sun is in the east

• Noon = sun is south  - in the northern hemisphere, that it*

• Late afternoon = sun in the west

You don’t have to be perfect—just be aware. It builds natural directional instinct.

3. Build a Habit of Checking Maps Before You Go

NB: Not while moving—before.

Look up:

• The shape of the route

• Major roads you’ll cross

• The compass direction you’ll be heading

• A backup landmark in case you miss a turn

This preloads your “mental map.”

4. Tell Yourself the Route in a Story

Our brains love stories more than lists.

For example, say:

“I head north past the supermarket, turn right at the red café, walk downhill until I cross the river, and the park is on the left.”

Turn your journey into a narrative—this dramatically increases recall. If you’re good at creating catchy tunes, or if you can find a popular tune to use to sing the words, that will be even better.

5. Practice “Mini-Explorations”

Pick small, safe areas to practice directional confidence:

• A new neighborhood block

• A trip to the mall

• A church or college campus

• A park

Then try returning to your starting point without using GPS. Don’t go too far out of your comfort zone at the beginning, so that even if you get slightly lost, there will always be a way for you to get back to the familiar. That’s the actual training.

If you recognize yourself in any of these situations, take heart. With practice, you can do much better in every one of them.  These five habits may seem small, but together they can transform the way you move through the world. Each one strengthens a different part of your spatial awareness—your memory for routes, your sense of cardinal direction, your ability to predict where you’re headed, and your confidence when exploring new places.

Don’t worry about mastering them all at once. Choose one or two to try this week. Notice how it feels to look behind you intentionally, or to tell your route as a story instead of treating it like a list. Pay attention to the sun just once a day. These tiny shifts awaken parts of the brain that have been quiet for years.

Navigation isn’t an all-or-nothing skill — it’s a collection of simple habits that grow with use.

And remember, being directionally challenged doesn’t mean you’re flawed. It simply means your brain prefers different kinds of information. With patience, awareness, and a little curiosity, you’ll find your way more easily than you ever believed.

You’re not not lost. You’re learning. And I’m here to guide you.

— Dr. Knough

Dr Knowell Knough (the name is clearly a pseudonym) is a psychologist who will periodically give his perspective on directional challenge and related topics. He has spent a major portion of his career studying why some people get lost so easily — and why others navigate almost effortlessly.

*Fun Fact: If you are north of the Tropic of Cancer (latitude 23.5° N), you will notice that the Sun always appears in the southern part of the sky at noon. If you stand outside at noon, your shadow will be at its shortest, but the angle it casts will be due north. It’s the opposite situation, south of the Tropic of Capricorn.