Wayfinding is both an ancient art and an everyday experience - a practice of navigating the world by sensing, rather than forcing, the way forward..

The concept of Wayfinding originates from indigenous Polynesian navigators, who mastered oceanic travel not through maps or instruments, but by attuning to the stars, ocean swells, and the flight patterns of seabirds to guide them across vast distances. Their deep relationship with their environment allowed them to read subtle cues, trusting their instincts to chart a course. In nature, we see similar internal navigation systems.

Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles using the Earth’s magnetic fields, while Arctic terns complete the longest known migration of any animal, following seasonal rhythms imprinted deep within them. Even in modern built environments, wayfinding plays a role. In complex spaces like hospitals and airports, subtle cues like arrows, colours, and landmarks help people intuitively navigate their way to where they want to go.

At The ADHD Wayfinder, we draw on this concept as a metaphor for how neurodivergent people can learn to trust their own inner compass, moving beyond rigid external systems and instead developing self-attunement, intuitive decision-making, and a deep sense of alignment. ADHD coaching often focuses on compensatory strategies, but wayfinding invites a different question: What if you already have the tools to navigate, if only you knew how to read them?