cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/24266485
I am unobservant
I used to be just as bad but something that helped me out a lot was making the map always oriented with north as "up" on the gps. It takes some getting used to and I don't recommend it for complicated drives off the bat but it's been a game changer. Now I actually know which streets go east/west vs north/south and have a general "map" of the city in my head since it always looks the same on gps now.
isn't this the standard mode for maps?
North orientation is the standard for when just browsing a map, but when in navigation mode applications usually rotate the map to match your direction of travel. If your car has a Android Auto/Carplay head unit or one otherwise capable of displaying maps it will also likely default to autorotating the map when driving even without a destination input.
This behaviour does make it easier to distinguish relative directions to your position (roads on your left as you drive will be on the left on the map and so forth) but also takes away an easy way to orient yourself on a scale broader than the limited section on the screen.
This is not adhd related as far as I can tell? My entire family is afflicted but none of us rely much on navigation anywhere.
I have ADHD, I don't use GPS 99% of the time. No reason, I just know where to go, where's north/south etc...
Someone can drive me somewhere and back home, and there's a damn good chance I can do that drive again without any assistance.
It is. Try as I might, getting distracted by things happening around me or just random thoughts makes me not remember where I need to go/have gone.
Please try and remember that symptoms and severity of same vary wildly within ADHD.
I believe it’s more of an age thing to be honest. I know plenty avid hikers who couldnt tell where’s south on a sunny day at noon, and have to navigate via maps when walking to a restaurant two blocks away, most of them without symptoms, but under 33.
However, also my ADHD friends over 35 are pretty good in finding someplace after a quick glance at a map before starting.
That's a lovely little theory, but I'm 42. This isn't about growing up with the apps and becoming overly reliant on them.
Back before GPS apps were an option, I'd just get lost all the fucking time. To me, they're like a prosthetic leg where before, I was just hopping around on one foot, figuratively speaking.
I have no sense of direction in cities but when I'm in the forest I have no problem with navigation
You any good at running and/or mountain biking? If so, orienteering might be a fun sport for you 😁
Elderly people with memory problems have joined the chat
You sound like my cousin's kid. Some years back we had to explain to her why knowing how to read a map is important.
I know how to read a map just fine. I just get distracted too easily and frequently to remember much after doing so 😄
Weirdest thing is, I can navigate to places I've never even been to when I'm on foot, just by the infrastructure/street naming conventions/geography, but put me behind the steering wheel of a car, and I'll get lost in a parking lot
The lighter side of ADHD