I agree, in general when I forget/misplace my phone I feel kinda useless and panicky. Maybe it is an old habit or something but I have a tendency to look at the map of a target location before I get there, locate some orientation points (e.g. old red church 2 blocks before and mobile gas station on the left) and then hit the road. The reality is different but it helps. Yes, a phone with a map is a necessity these days especially in a new location but I find (and feel) it easier if I "pre-plan" a little. Also basic stuff like, "you will be going north, then turn east on main" still apply. We don't need wars, just take the phones and electricity away and we will kill each-other...lol I still remember tho "good old days" when one could hunt/fish all day, then prep the food and read a book by a candle light or fire. Our sense of orientation is degraded by these devices since we stare at them all the time and stop enjoying the views while we out there. I still have few paper maps in my truck, to be honest, don't remember when I was using it last but I still do...

I have no visual memory or visualisation ability, at all. Yet, I can usually find my way pretty well after I drive a certain direction a few times using a GPS, and consciously put to memory what I see on the way. I somehow remember I need to turn left, right, straight until I see this building, then right again, etc.

When I think of myself, I will try to use the map as little as possible. And to remember the place, no matter which route I took, I memorised some important points or stores that I can easily go to next time.

I know exactly where everything is, the problem is there have been numerous times where I didn't turn on the mapping software and I was stuck in traffic for a solid hour.

It takes 10 seconds to turn on, I have it everywhere I go that's longer than a 10 min drive. I suggest others do the same (closed highway, closed road, bad accident, etc.)

I make a point of at least starting out without navigation, because I noticed the same thing.

Find a reference on the horizon. I moved to a new city a few years ago, and quickly found the mountains are to the east. I never get lost. Of course, this is more difficult in the larger cities. Usually, there's a major street that runs either E-W or N-S, if you're lucky maybe both. In that case, the direction suffix will tell you what quadrant of the city you're on. Also, street names tend to be sequential, either numbered or state names, for example. Good luck!