There is not much worse a feeling that having what l call a "scatter brain". The term isnt meant to be derogatory, but in fact accurate.
When my depression was at its worse 1992-2009,l had extreme difficulty focussing on the job at hand. My mind would wander and this had consequences. Flying a model airplane you need 100% concentration. I often crashed and other modellers wondered why. I'd also fall into an emotional low bevause of it.
Mind overload, burnout, stress,all leave our minds in a state that feels like we've lost half of our capacity to think. We have to come to terms with this massive change to our lives. That's the hard part.
To claw back our thinking/concentration ability we need to drop off other unwanted cargo we can do without.
Eg friends that are taxing...takers that dont return the goodwill. Be kind because they often have no clue they are takers. Drift away if possible...less drama...the aim is to lessen your drama not create more.
Finances. Get them in order. Years ago my wife revamped our bill payment methods. We now do a lot of monthly direct debit. We buy power when we get our power account in surplus. Etc
Health. We grow vegies galore. Our carrots always twist but are great for juicing. Cherry trees great for prevention of gout. The vitamins must assist the mind. Fresh is best.
Exercise. At least 20 minutes of fast walking will result in the dropping of your blood pressure then it will rise again. Its best for a fit and healthy cardio vascular system. More oxygen for the brain. Check with your GP as to what is advisable.
Relaxation. Everyone has their own technique. For me its finding a place near home amongst forest trees where l can listen to pan flute music or my favourite Youtube Maharaji Sunset. It feels like l create empty mind space once l do this. Our minds need time out.
Laughter. A good comedy lifts my mood.
Prioritise. Focus on one thing at a time.
Distractions. My wife and l came to an agreement. If she talks to me and l raise my hand, she knows I'm concentrating on my bb forum. She also knows l will give her attention within a short time. Some of us dont have the capacity to divide our attention to several things at once.
We might not be able to focus well, to counter our scattered mind, but we can make changes to move aside some obstacles to give our mind space to think better. Less clutter.
Have you got ideas on how to focus better?
Tony WK
