Concentration problems

[kate]

Has anyone got any suggestions in helping concentration levels?

Mine at present seems to be nil!!

I have bought about a trillion self help books the most recent of which is "Feel the fear and do it anyway".

I have read the book once but I can't seem to keep my mind concentrated on the information. I wander off and realise that I have read a whole page and no information whatsoever has sunk in.

I can read half a book and then realise I can't remember anything that I have read!

I'm the same when people are telling me things. I will nod in all the right places but as soon as they have finished speaking I can't remember a word of the conversation.

I want to read the "feel the fear.." book again cos from the tiny snippets I have remembered, it seems dead good!

But I want to be able to really take the information on board without having to re read each sentance!

Any suggestions?

Kate x

[Laurie28]

Hiya Kate,

I read the book and it is good.

Have u tried visualisation techniques or I have heard that fish oil capsules are great for concentration.

lucky

[kate]

Hiya Lucky,

Sorry to sound a bit of a thicko (I'm only a dinner lady!!) but what exactly is visualisation?

Will go and buy some fish oil capsules imediately!!!

Hope you are keeping well, Lucky

Take care

Kate x

[kate]

Lucky,

I'm back, complete with fish oil!!!:D

Just adding it to the ever growing packs of vit's LOL

Kate x

[Meg]

Visualization is a similar technique to meditation. Focusing on one thing like a candle with meditation or with visualization something like a walk in a meadow, notice the snowdrops and feel the warm breeze, move down the path towards the waterfall etc - I guess a moving meditation.

As for other ways for improving concentration -
is your mind whirling with other stuff taking up all the room ?
Do you concentrate when cooking or anything else ?
I wonder whether you've just got out of the habit over time ?
Are you sleepy when you sit down to read ?



Taking notes - using highlighters- reading aloud can all help but are not very condusive to a pleasant read. It also comes on cassette and CD now.

Meg

[Laurie28]

Hiya Kate,

I hope u got my e-mail on visualisation as i couldn't post as there were alot of people around!!!!

Lucky

[kate]

Meg,

Yes, it is definately my mind whirling with other stuff taking up the space.

I find it hard to concentrate on anything. Particularly worrying when driving and I seem to suddenly come out of a dream state and realise that for the last mile or so I have been on automatic pilot.

I have tried reading at all times of the day so I don't think that tiredness is an issue.

Lucky I will check my e mails in a while.Thanks a lot.

Kate x

[sarah]

Hiya Kate

I too have trouble concentrating. I put it down to the fact that my mind is always racing and thinking about other things.

Ive definately done the driving thing where I get halfway through the journey and cant remember how I got there..dont remember a roundabout that I must have gone over etc. I was like that even before all this panic lark started tho.

I love reading books and have read about 3 a week since I was 18 or so. Now I have trouble getting through one a fortnight sometimes. The only way I can read without being distracted is by taking one into the bath with me.....watch out for soggy pages...lol

love Sarah
xx

we arent mad, just the next stage of evolution :)

[Meg]

I used to commute from Notts to Camberley each work day for about 2 years. ( It didn't do me any good so I don't advise anyone to be conned into doing huge amount of miles for even a decent promotion)

I regularly got there on autopilot and didn't remember very much at all about each trip and that was long before panic hit. I think anything we do regularly or without avid interest gets put on the brains back burner and it finds more sustainable topics to amuse itself.

I wouldn't worry about this at all. All my field teams do it. I had a session on it once and it wa suniversal. Doesn't mean to say you are any less aware of the road though, its just being dealt with by a separate bit of the brain .


Meg

"Come to the edge."
"We can't. We're afraid."
"Come to the edge."
"We can't. We will fall!"
"Come to the edge."
And they came.
And he pushed them.
And they flew.

- Guillaume Apollinaire

[kate]

Thanks for that!

Didn't realise that lots of people also suffer from "Auto Pilot" driving!!

Sarah, I have also tried reading in the bath but I find shaving my legs while holding a book very difficult!!

Kate x

[Laurie28]

Hiya,

I have always been a book worm. For a while though I had to settle for easy read 'trash' as i couldn't concentrate on anything else!!!

Which made me bored senseless which didn't help the anxiety!!
Anyway back to reading 'proper' books agan so my brain is getting a bit of stimulation

Love
Lucky

[kate]

Lucky,

I checked my e mails but haven't received yours on the visualisation :(

Started taking the fish oil though! :D

Kate x

[Laurie28]

Oh dear I wonder who i sent it too!!!!!!!

[kate]

He he Lucky!!

Some poor, unsuspecting sole who now knows all about visualisation!!

Kate x

[Laurie28]

Did u recieve my other e-mails Kate??

Last one I sent was Friday

[Lottie32]

Hi Kate

I think some of us are just born this way!!!

I'm obviously fantastically gifted, intelligent, practical, a great conversationalist, mover and shaker (ok so I'm not, but I'm not stupid either), and I have a great deal of trouble concentrating or remembering ANYTHING.

I even get my two best friends who I've know for ever in the whole wide world names wrong. Frequently.

My suggestion of wearing name badges at Megs was based on purely practical reasons.!!!

My friend Carolyn has a yard of horses (with accompanying cats, dogs and a rabbit) and I only call one of the creatures by it's real name (it's the only one I can remember) I have been visiting her since before some of these horses were foaled! Consequently, I call them all what I think is their name - only Carolyn has a clue what I am on about - it confuses everybody else terribly!

Love

Charlie

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

[Lottie32]

Oh yes - fish oils! (And I really haven't done this deliberately)

I take fish oils everyday. I'm not convinced that they do anything other than make you burp salmon flavour, particularly if like me you take them on an empty stomach before breakfast. This combined with a garlic capsule results in the question of "whos had prawn curry" by anybody within a five metre distance for the first thirty minutes at work! Maybe they are better taken at night.

But then your hubby might complain

Charlie

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

[mico]

Hi Kate

I have a lot of problems with concentration at the best of times, but what I think really makes it worse is the anxiety. I know that's not an ideal situation to be in when your trying to read a book to help you with your anxiety, kind of a vicious circle, but what helps me sometimes is some relaxation. Once I'm relaxed my concentration improves 90%. Maybe you could try a little relaxation before you read sometime, I know it can be difficult but I do find it a big help if I persavire (is that anywhere near spelt right? Maybe if I had more concentration...), but yeah, that definately helps me anyway. What the others were saying about visualisation is probably a good idea too.

Anyway, enjoy the reading

later

mico

[LiquidGenerator]

If you cant concentrate and it isnt stress related it could be ADD or ADHD. i have some mager problems with consentration myself and its a combination of ADD/ADHD and dyslexia.. as well as the memory cant remember more or less anything i read/hear so, and im dyslexic so my eyes gets all red after half a page(takes an hr to read btw) typing like crap i know.. but just wanted to throw it out there in case someone is looking for related problems and cant find a namn for it;)