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Spacing Out

TippecanoeTippecanoe Registered User new member
edited March 2011 in Help / Advice Forum
I spend a lot of time in la la land, to the point where it's starting to concern me.

I spend the vast majority of my day spacing out/day dreaming and I rarely stay on task. I love reading, but I usually drift off after 15 or so pages. I'll catch myself eventually, but it's still irritating. At night, I have trouble sleeping because my brain refuses to just shut up and leave me alone.

When I do actually catch myself, I try to steer my brain back on task but it's starting to feel like a loosing battle.

Uh, any advice?

Tippecanoe on

Posts

  • L|amaL|ama Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    if it's really problematic, you could see a doctor about it and something like adderall or ritalin would probably help

    L|ama on
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  • dispatch.odispatch.o Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Tippecanoe wrote: »
    I spend a lot of time in la la land, to the point where it's starting to concern me.

    I spend the vast majority of my day spacing out/day dreaming and I rarely stay on task. I love reading, but I usually drift off after 15 or so pages. I'll catch myself eventually, but it's still irritating. At night, I have trouble sleeping because my brain refuses to just shut up and leave me alone.

    When I do actually catch myself, I try to steer my brain back on task but it's starting to feel like a loosing battle.

    Uh, any advice?

    Start with the sleep and see how it goes from there. How much time do you usually set aside for sleep in a typical night?

    dispatch.o on
  • territoiresterritoires Upstate NYRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Stop using the internet for a week/month and see how you feel after that.

    territoires on
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  • The_Glad_HatterThe_Glad_Hatter One Sly Fox Underneath a Groovy HatRegistered User regular
    edited March 2011
    territoires wrote: »
    Stop using the internet for a week/month and see how you feel after that.

    This, and no gaming an hour before you got to bed.

    The_Glad_Hatter on
  • spool32spool32 Contrary Library Registered User, Transition Team regular
    edited March 2011
    The_Glad_Hatter wrote: »
    territoires wrote: »
    Stop using the internet for a week/month and see how you feel after that.

    This, and no gaming an hour before you got to bed.

    Both of these. Get better rest, seriously.. aim for 8 hours of solid sleep. If you have a smartphone (iPhone / Android) you might consider downloading an app that examines your movement while your'e asleep and ranks it by quality. This might be the real core of your problem... lack of good sleep.

    spool32 on
  • ATIRageATIRage Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Is what you are doing stimulating to you? When you are doing activities that you would normally enjoy (Say playing a video game or a sport) do you also space out? It could be that you just aren't feeling challenged by your current tasks (im just guessing).

    Rest is a good solution sometimes but this could also be the sign of early medical problems. Although spacing out is a fairly common thing (i'll be in a conversation for minutes before realizing that I am actually talking to someone [but apparently also I will have responded to questions, but I'll completely forget that I responded]) if it gets to the point where you can't perform normal activities, you should probably see a doctor.

    ATIRage on
  • DoctorArchDoctorArch Curmudgeon Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    If you are making sure that you are getting a full nights rest, then it could be other problems. In that case, make an appointment with your doctor to talk about potentially having ADD/ADHD, because your symptoms could fit into that mold.

    Even on medication I still have your problem of difficulty falling asleep. If I read a good book, I push myself well beyond the exhausted stage to get to the next chapter. My solution was to lay prone, turn off the lights, and play a passive game on my DS. It has to be a passive game, because if you play Contra 4 or another high-speed game of that sort it will keep you awake. In my case, Dragon Quest IX has been a godsend, because I boot it up, beat a few monsters, and in fifteen minutes due to the lack of ambient light and the repetitiveness of the mechanics I go to sleep pretty quick. I would give it a try. Pokemon would probably work as well.

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  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    edited March 2011
    Exercise. It may help you have more energy thus making it easier to stay on task, and will probably force you to get more sleep also making it easier for you to stay on task.

    emp123 on
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  • TippecanoeTippecanoe Registered User new member
    edited March 2011
    I’m in the Navy, so a full night’s rest isn’t always possible, especially on deployment. I can squeeze 6 hours in on a good day, but I usually average around 4-5 hours.

    I’ve always had problems staying on task though; it’s just become especially problematic now that I’m learning the ins and outs of my job on top of all the other qualifications I need to get out of the way. During extended periods of study, I get listless and fidgety; I usually end up pacing around my work center.

    Compounded, all of these things are making me feel pretty incompetent/shitty.

    Tippecanoe on
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