Inattentiveness/Daydreaming

[Anonymous]

I spend way too much time mentally “chasing my tail”. I tell other people (ironically) to stop over-thinking things, back off, take your mind off, etc. but I can’t even follow my own advice.

I’ve heard ADD is starting to hesitantly be described as a “sleep disorder” because it does something to the brain that makes it unable to “rest”. For my part, I get wrapped up in my thoughts, and I can’t force myself to sit down and read a book or play a game, etc. even though if I succeed, it will do me wonders, because it lets my mind “unclench” (like a fist). Inattentiveness, I’ve started to learn, breeds a mighty vicious cycle of inaction.

I have so MANY things at my disposal, that I’ve collected over the years, almost instinctively, waiting for that fist to unclench, and it rarely does. I keep trying to force myself to try this, try that, try anything that will yank my brain into some form of catharsis. But it’s an uphill battle. An exhausting one.

Do I daydream because I’m unhappy? Or am I unhappy because I dwell and can’t relax and take a step back?

I was really hoping that the ADD medication would help me more often make the jump from wool-gathering to active engagement, but so far (I’m on round 3 now) it doesn’t seem to be helping.

Once I START reading a book I really like, I’m more likely to go back to it. Now that I’ve learned HOW to knit, I’m more likely to indulge in it, etc. etc. The problem is nudging myself to get started. The more time I spend sitting around doing nothing, the more I fall back on the poor habits of living in my head.

Any advice?

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[Anonymous]

Megatron

The following things work for me:

– when wrapped up in thoughts/worries: talk to a friend.

– getting started: use a timer. Set it to 5′ and tell yourself you only need to do task X for these 5′ after which you get 5′ of free time. If 5′ seems too long, try less. It does wonders for me. Once I get started, it’s easy to keep going – as you mentioned. The break time may then be the time to go back to the daydreaming. I use it as an award to get the 5′ work done.

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[shutterbug55]

One of my biggest problems is staying focused and on task.

For everyday things, I have to break tasks down to their smallest pieces and put them on a list. I start running my checklists or things don’t get done. I put break times in the lists, because I know if I don’t, I get bored. Timers are my friends too. They bring me back to the present and tell me when break time is over.

It started with shopping lists, because I would find myself wandering the isles, desperately trying to remember what it was I was supposed to get. One time I was so focused on not forgetting a 4 item list of groceries, I made it all the way into Seattle, before I remembered I was supposed to pick my wife up in Bellevue. “Oh yea! That was the first item on the list”. My GPS in the car has eliminated the problem of where I go first. I love technology!

That is one of the things that I have a BIG problem with at work as well, and my supervisors and peers talk to me about it constantly. I finally bought a LiveScribe pen. Check them out. You write on a pad, made for the pen, while it records the conversations. Later, it associates the recordings with the notes you have on the pad. For me, it’s like having a partner at the meeting who is watching out for me.

This works for me, because I cannot pay attention for very long. I try. I really try. But I just can’t. I first skip ahead and wait for everyone to catch up, then after a few times of that routine, I get bored and I daydream or mentally wander while waiting for them, and find I have missed something important.

The pen does not miss a thing. So when I am reviewing instructions or any kind of information, there are times when it’s like I have heard the conversation for the first time! It was amazing! I could not believe what I was missing. Especially when I “KNEW” I was not zoning out. Technology is my friend!

I am very new to this whole thing. I am 51and I finally put a label on this thing that has dominated my whole life. I am hoping I find the right combination of counselor/coping mechanisms/medications that will help. in the mean time, that is one trick I have figured out. Hope it helps you.

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[nellie]

Hey Shutterbug55.

That penLiveScribe looks really interesting. Just sent the link to my husband and daughter – I think it would be great for them at work and at school.

Personally, medication has really helped me with focus. I do still zone out at times but now find that I notice myself doing it and can pull myself back into the conversation.

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[shutterbug55]

The zoning is what scares me the most. Sometimes I miss an hour or more and have nothing to show for it.

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[nellie]

Shutterbug55,

Not sure you can do this at work, but have you considered setting a timer for say 10-15 minutes? When it rings it will help you re-focus on the task you’re supposedly doing. Probably not a great idea in a meeting though:-) But perhaps a vibrating cell phone in your pocket can do the trick?

If there’s something really boring I’ll do that. It keeps me focused on completion since I’m kind of competitive and don’t want the timer to beat me No time for zoning that way! It depends on the task but my usual minimum time is 20 minutes. I figure you can almost do anything for 20 minutes. If I really feel un-motivated then I set it for 10 and that usually helps me get into doing the task. But in case I wander in my mind or otherwise -switching to unrelated tasks is a form of zoning out – then the timer ringing is a great way to bring me back on track.

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[Anonymous]

I also use the livescribe pen: works very well for me.

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[laddybug3]

Megatron knitting can be addictive. I started knitting in high school. In college, I would go a half an hour early, or 15 minutes depending on classes and knit. A professor even noticed my attention was better in the beginning of class and formed a theory. I got to knit during class, only when my attention went to something else. It turns out I did ten points better after midterms. Oh, by the way, I am an half an hour early to everyone.

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[trashman]

what is the cost of this livescribe pen and can it be used with a voice recorder and the dragon pro software.

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[laddybug3]

I like daydreaming I was daydreaming while I was working out. It was one of the best workouts I had. I found that sometimes I will be part daydreaming and doing something at the same time.

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[Anonymous]

I just checked that pen out. Looks interesting. I use a Mac. A person on another forum said the software works, but slowly with the Mac. Any feedback on this?

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