Not sure it's over analysis, bad situational awareness is real, I know all too well, talking it out helps me understand it.
I've now got a picture of how to improve my own SA.
Keep the planning as I was taught, use the tools available at appropriate times as you have said.
Widen my comfort zone by stepping outside of the planned flight in a safe way, so on the day I actually have to, it's not theory but experience, thus my own level of SA improves for subsequent flights. (Thanks Fuji)
In all it's linked to capacity, if one is overloaded, SA can fall apart, I guess I'm looking now at how I can increase capacity and make abnormal situations (in the context of PPL training) routine and avoid overload and maintain good SA at all times.