How can I stop daydreaming in class?

[SalanaEiyungAisis]

Today, during my first class of the day, I began fussing over the fact that I was too shy to talk to someone and it carried on into my next course, making me unable to hear and concentrate. I was so frustrated I went into a bathroom down the hall and cried. It was the second time since being back to Cegep that I got out almost in tears because of panic and frustration at not being able to push my thoughts aside and concentrate on the course. And of top of that, the teacher offered me to explain what he said again during the 10 min break (which I accepted), but not everyone had left the class, so they got to hear how much I had trouble concentrating.

I just feel so stupid and embrassed.

I mean, it ALWAYS happen. Every time a new session starts, I tell myself ''I'm not gonna cry in front of the others, this time, I'll handle it like a grown-up, I won't bawl like a baby, I won't bawl like a baby...'' but, in the end, I always cry out of stress. It just feels so frustrating! Why can't I just follow the darn course, like everyone else?! Why can't my brain shut up at the right time?

It just seems like my imagination can't stop running wild when I do a boring class. Does anyone here, by any chance, knows any tricks to stop daydreaming in class? Thanks in advance,

Salana

 

[tree]

I don't know what would work for anyone else,
but what worked for me was to take notes.

Yeah, what I am saying is that if a class seemed
boring to me and I might space out, the solution
was . . . to pay attention.

What I mean is, to pay attention to the words
being spoken. And to record them. To take
notes.

That way I was concerned with accurately getting
down what was said, and not with my *feelings*
about the content being presented.

 

[FreeDiver]

What you may call "Day Dreaming", may actually be your brain going into a protected state. You will perceive this state of mind and being board. But in fact. You may be dealing with way too much sensory input. sensory overload can cause 2 things to happen. Ether you will meltdown or shutdown, and I think you maybe shutting down. Your brain is just muting all sensory input. and as a result, it make you board from lack of stimulation, so you start to daydream to fill the void.

 

[SalanaEiyungAisis]

What you may call "Day Dreaming", may actually be your brain going into a protected state. You will perceive this state of mind and being board. But in fact. You may be dealing with way too much sensory input. sensory overload can cause 2 things to happen. Ether you will meltdown or shutdown, and I think you maybe shutting down. Your brain is just muting all sensory input. and as a result, it make you board from lack of stimulation, so you start to daydream to fill the void.

Perhaps.

 

[tree]

That is what is good about focusing on the
words being spoken by the instructor.

It is only one thing going on.
Not a flood.

It's not being aware of all the other students,
their clothing, the way they are sitting, the
look of the classroom...etc.

Attending to the lecture by taking notes
makes the classroom situation much more
simple.

 

[abby normal]

the only thing that helps me is a good stiff cup o' joe or caffeine tablets.

 

[Warmheart]

Challenges with paying attention are part of ASD. If is part of our wiring, our neurology. For some of us, our ability to pay attention is very, very brief, before being pulled back into our dominant default state of autistic Inner World.

What FreeDiver said sounds plausible, and likely. School has high sensory overload, social overload, task performance anxiety, and a constant need to "follow a leader" or teacher, and apply oneself. Some if us shutdown under so much sensory, social, and cognitive input. The brain insists on a break. Daydreaming happens and we don't remember much.

Tree has a super suggestion to take notes. This can help!
Another dea to increase attention span (as well as tolerance in a high-sensory/social/cognitive situation is to engage in a sensory diet. This has nothing to do with food. Sensory diet s a regular program of customized activity that gives us the sensory input through our bodies, to help regulate and organize our nervous systems.
Examples are swinging on a swing, bouncing, jumping jacks, spinning on a tire swing, swimming, etc. Google "sensory diet" for more info.

I hope you have good success!

 

[midlife aspie]

If you are missing out on information from the lecture, perhaps you can record it? I had boring classes too, and my mind would go into overdrive thinking about other things. Other classes had distractions. I remember specifically one college course where one of the attractive girls up front apparently thought she was a plummer, and thus my 'focus' was elsewhere. Maybe, you can try asking questions. The instructor will most likely address you directly, which might have the effect of keeping you tuned in. Of course, better instructors tend to be proactive in maintaining their students' attention, often with humor. My anatomy instructor went so far as to use a squirt gun to illustrate how blood gets pumped, 'showering' us with knowledge!

 

[SalanaEiyungAisis]

Challenges with paying attention are part of ASD. If is part of our wiring, our neurology. For some of us, our ability to pay attention is very, very brief, before being pulled back into our dominant default state of autistic Inner World.

What FreeDiver said sounds plausible, and likely. School has high sensory overload, social overload, task performance anxiety, and a constant need to "follow a leader" or teacher, and apply oneself. Some if us shutdown under so much sensory, social, and cognitive input. The brain insists on a break. Daydreaming happens and we don't remember much.

Tree has a super suggestion to take notes. This can help!
Another dea to increase attention span (as well as tolerance in a high-sensory/social/cognitive situation is to engage in a sensory diet. This has nothing to do with food. Sensory diet s a regular program of customized activity that gives us the sensory input through our bodies, to help regulate and organize our nervous systems.
Examples are swinging on a swing, bouncing, jumping jacks, spinning on a tire swing, swimming, etc. Google "sensory diet" for more info.

I hope you have good success!

OOOH, , So, THAT'S why we enjoy rocking back and forth so much! It's because it helps us concentrate!

 

[SalanaEiyungAisis]

If you are missing out on information from the lecture, perhaps you can record it? I had boring classes too, and my mind would go into overdrive thinking about other things. Other classes had distractions. I remember specifically one college course where one of the attractive girls up front apparently thought she was a plummer, and thus my 'focus' was elsewhere. Maybe, you can try asking questions. The instructor will most likely address you directly, which might have the effect of keeping you tuned in. Of course, better instructors tend to be proactive in maintaining their students' attention, often with humor. My anatomy instructor went so far as to use a squirt gun to illustrate how blood gets pumped, 'showering' us with knowledge!

You got quite Lucky.