TEDD Drills

How to Train Yourself to Detect Surveillance in the Real World

It’s one thing to understand TEDD as we discussed last week. It’s another to internalize it through experience.

Mindset First: Your Brain is the Sensor

Most people walk through life heads-down, distracted, reactive.

To be effective at TEDD, you must flip the switch into what we call “Observer Mode.”

This means:

• Scanning faces, not just paths

• Remembering details without writing them down

• Spotting what doesn’t fit

Your enemy in surveillance detection is mental laziness. These drills hope to fix that.

My hope is that this article will give you a hands-on training guide to build your counter-surveillance skillset, using low-risk, high-impact drills you can do during your daily routine, even if no one’s actually watching you.

These exercises are adapted from real executive protection and counter-surveillance programs, and you can run them solo, in public spaces, or even recruit a friend or family member to simulate being followed (which you may need to do).

They’re designed to:

• Sharpen your observation

• Test your assumptions

• Turn everyday life into a live-fire awareness lab

DRILL 1: The Time Test - Track the Ghost

Objective: Train yourself to recognize and recall repeated individuals or vehicles.

How to Run It:

• Go to your usual coffee shop, gym, church, or store at the same time each day for 3 to 5 days.

• On Day 1, take mental note of 3 to 5 people or cars you see.

• Each day after, look for any repeats.