Improving concentration.

[Aubergine]

I have issues with my concentration. It's sometimes really hard to concentrate if I'm hearing words from people I can't see, or getting pre-occupied with certain ideas, or sometimes my thoughts fly away and I don't know what I'm on about.


I manage it quite well most of the time. At work, I'm very scatty. I start a job and then my thoughts fly off and I forget when I'm doing, but my colleagues are very good. They'll gently prod me when I'm wandering around the dispensary wondering what I've left, or they'll not tidy something away so I can go back to it later when I see it and it clicks. I talk myself through tasks while I'm doing them, which must be very difficult for the other people I work with, but they're very gracious and let me do this. It helps to keep me focussed. On bad days, I am allowed to do things like date checking or stock checks or more admin type roles. I'm very fortunate with my employer. She recognises that I am good at my job and says that "everyone has their little quirks."


I have just started doing an internship with my church and I am really, really struggling with the academic side of it. I haven't read a book for a long time because I cannot focus well enough, but now I'm expected to read chapters of a book at a time and also large chunks of the Bible. I don't know how I'm going to manage. I feel so stupid. I did an NVQ through work, but that took me 18 months rather than the expected 12 because of my issues. It was also very practical, and in small chunks. This is completely different.


How do those that are studying manage things like this? How do you get focus when you're being talked at? How do you deal with general lack of concentration issues? Any advice/personal experience very welcome. :)

[Pi.R^2]

Is reading threads on here easier or more difficult than reading a printed book? If it's easier to read on a screen, you can find the bible online and you could try reading it that way?

I would also recommend experimenting with different background noises- see if silence, classical music, hymns, popular music, tv help or hinder your concentration. I don't tend to concentrate well with the TV, but currently I am watching Rhod Gilbert DVD that I know very well, so I can still concentrate on writing this response, as I don't need to listen to all the words.

You could also try reading it aloud to keep you focussed? I resorted to that when I was reading Frankenstein for my GCSE English as I really struggled to concentrate on it (in my case it was because I found it boring, though I know in your case it's more because of voices and stuff).

[Aubergine]

Thank you so much for the thoughtful responses. They're really helpful.


I like underlining things and highlighting them. I haven't been doing that, so I will start trying and see how I go. I'm not very good at taking notes, but making relevant pieces of text prominent so I can read them again is helpful.


I find that drawing squares on a piece of paper and colouring them in helps me to focus. I worry about doodling in lessons though as I don't want to appear rude.


I find that listening to a pianist called Einaudi really helps sometimes. It's nice, when I'm hearing people, to have my head filled with music that doesn't have any words in. Sometimes there are too many words. If anyone has any other pieces of music without words that they find helpful, I am open to suggestions.


I had branch group tonight and we were talking about the sermon on Sunday. People were talking about it and I don't remember any of it. I don't remember the Bible passage, the preaching around it or anything. I was definitely there. I don't dissociate or anything, so I can't put it down to not being present. I just get so distracted by other things that I don't retain anything. I'm not sure what to do.

[Pi.R^2]

If you like Einaudi, maybe something like listening to classic FM (you can listen on their website if you don't have a radio) would help. I would also recommend Fauré (composer), including his choral works, if you think words in French/Latin might be fine too- I certainly find words in a language I don't know aren't distracting like English words are and I don't know enough French for it to be a problem.

I also don't think doodling would be too much of a problem, and depending on the setting you could mention it to the speaker, as Carmen suggested, if they were likely to notice you doing it.