Tricks to improve your sense of direction

Plus: Taylor Swift and jet lag

View this email online Today’s newsletter is brought to you by Life Kit producer Clare Marie Schneider When I started working as the producer on Life Kit’s episode on how to improve your sense of direction, I started asking my friends in New York City how they navigate the area.  One friend told me she pictures the city in bird's eye view and uses cardinal directions to orient herself. Another told me she uses main roads and her knowledge of street names to get around. As for me, I rely on tried-and-true routes I’ve memorized to get to my close friend’s home or the grocery store. And of course, my GPS.  People use different techniques to find their way in the world. But if you’re like me and want to stop anxiously checking your phone’s turn-by-turn directions, try these tips to strengthen your navigational skills.  Cha Pornea for NPR Help! I'm lost 🪄 Tricks to improve your sense of direction 📱Turn off your GPS and get lost on purpose. If you're not pressed for time, turn off your GPS and try to find your way around town, says Ben Gero, an outdoor recreation specialist with Cleveland Metroparks, a system of nature preserves in Ohio. "Next time you go for a stroll, go down a road you've not walked and see where it ends up.” Then see if you can make it back home without a GPS from your destination. The goal is to get comfortable with getting lost and moving through the world without a map, he says.  🏛️ Use landmarks to orient yourself. Not sure if you're north or south from home? Pick a few landmarks in town to help orient yourself. The ideal landmark is large and far away, like a big sign, a highway, a tall building or a bridge "so it can serve as a better cue to orientation," says Mary Hegarty, a cognitive psychologist at the Spatial Thinking Lab at University of California, Santa Barbara. She uses the mountains where she lives as her landmark. No matter where she is in the city, she knows that the mountains are north. 👀Be curious about your surroundings. Whether you're going somewhere new or to a place you've been to loads of times, it's helpful to just turn around and see what the view looks like behind you. Looking at your surroundings from different perspectives can help you remember the details of your route, says Hegarty — and give you visual cues on "how to get back." More tips to help you navigate 👉 Life advice from our audience Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR These responses have been edited for length and clarity. Got more tips for us? Email us at lifekit@npr.org.   ☕A tip inspired by our episode on coffee Zhuzh up your morning brew. I like to sprinkle cinnamon over the ground coffee before I brew it. You can also use turmeric if you are having inflammation issues.  — Meredith DuHamel  🧭 Tips inspired by our episode on sense of direction  Use the sun as a compass. After reading your article about directional sense, I thought you overlooked one key tactic: Observe where the sun (or moon) is in the sky and compare that to the time of day. If it is early morning, then the sun, if visible, will be in the east. Late in the day it will be in the west. — Leslie Meyer  Don’t underestimate the power of a map. Looking at a map offers much more information than using a GPS. It allows you to consider which route to take in more terms than just shortest or fastest route. If I have several stops to make, I can think about other ways to organize the trip. For example, Is this trip going to take me near the grocery store or the dry cleaner? — Tom Butler  Newsletter continues after sponsor message Listen Sponsor-Free Support public media while getting expert advice on health, finance, relationships and more with Life Kit+. You'll get sponsor-free listening AND that warm fuzzy feeling that comes with making a difference. You can also check out loads of other NPR+ podcasts with benefits at plus.npr.org. Explore Life Kit+ This week on Life Kit Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Taylor Swift joked that 'jet lag is a choice.' A sleep expert has thoughts about that. Plus, six tips on how to stay alert and minimize sluggishness when traveling rapidly across multiple time zones. Read the story here.  4 mental health issues Asian Americans face -- and how to overcome them. For a lot of people from Asian American backgrounds, discussing mental health - especially with loved ones - can be difficult. Psychologist and author Jenny T. Wang has advice on everything from working through guilt to defining home on your own terms. Read the story here.  Help your stepfamily grow closer. Becoming a blended stepfamily can be fraught for everyone involved. How can your family build trust, function more smoothly and ultimately grow closer? In this episode, NPR health correspondent Maria Godoy shares research on stepsiblings and blended families that can make the process easier. Listen to the story here. Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: LifeKit@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Code Switch, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Life Kit emails. 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