Imagine you have just finished an appointment in a medical building and you're running to pick up your child from school.

The problem is at every corner you don’t know what way to turn. When you finally get outside, you can’t find your car - ‘cuz it’s on the other side of the building.

There are 28 parts that make up thinking and when one of them are weak it’s called a cognitive deficiency.

Someone who gets lost often or struggles with directions often has the cognitive deficiency of spatial orientation - knowing where you are in this world.
The goal is to rewire your brain, so you have an easier time with spatial orientation, but that takes time, and you need a way out if you get lost tomorrow.

So, I’m going to give you a few short-term strategies to solve your problem right now and few long-term strategies to rewire your brain.

3 Short-term strategies to help you right now not get lost:

1. Work with your brain. You know that your brain has a hard time with directions.
Instead of fighting it, acknowledge your challenge and work with it.

2. Take a picture of where your car is parked. Usually big parking lots have signs, if not take a picture of the corner or street sign near your car.
You can also take a picture of the door you walk in, or any distinct landmarks/signs in the building.
This way in case you forget you can look back at your phone or you can ask someone for directions to that place by showing them the picture.

3. As you talk towards your destination, make a mental note of what you are walking past and which direction you are turning. This works even better if you say it out loud.
Just remember on the way back you are going to need to go the opposite direction.
So, if you make a right on the way there, you’ll need to make a left on the way back.
(This short-term strategy will also help you with long term strategies to rewire your brain.)

4 Long-term strategies to help you rewire your brain so directions is easier for you.:

1. When you are going somewhere far but familiar, see if you can do it without Google maps or Waze. (Keep your phone near you just in case you get lost!) This will work on spatial memory in your brain.

2. Take a new route to work/grocery/gym without your phone.

3. Instead of jumping to Google maps, ask someone to give you directions. You may want to repeat back to them, so it’s really ingrained in your brain.
Just make sure they have patience! :)

4. Many people who struggle with directions and spatial orientation have a hard time with rights and lefts. Even if they know their own, as soon as someone is standing in a different direction, they get confused. A great game to play to make this easier for you is called Right Turn, Left Turn.


Remember, these strategies are not one-and-done. You will need to do them multiple times until your brain is very comfortable with directions.
In the beginning your brain will struggle with these strategies but over time you’ll get better at it.