Spacing out?

[VictorR]

Can come totally unexpected. Sometimes something just grabs my attention and I lose track of everything else.

 

[Soleil]

My First Grade teacher called me "Captain Space Cadet" because I kept spacing out and not paying attention. I usually have trouble focusing on one thing at a time, so I frequently find my mind wandering. I'm usually aware enough to not be totally clueless of my surroundings, though.

 

[Daydreamer]

@SliverOfSand

Yep. I relate this a lot. There have been times where I've told someone to shut up because I'm writing (if the information isn't the same as what I'm writing). Otherwise I'll end up writing that. I've done that with song lyrics when I've zoned out, thought of a song, and written the lyrics absentmindedly when I was meant to be writing something else.

When watching TV, I dislike it when people talk to me about it. That draws me out of the experience and I miss out on information. I can't focus on both and I end up understanding neither.

My mind can go in all sorts of directions if I let it. However, I do have methods of focusing myself. Unfortunately, I have the opposite issue too, where I'm too focused on something. Where I'm so wrapped up in a task and suddenly it's 3 AM and I've missed meals because I forgot to eat. Strange as it is, I like to imagine either myself or someone else asking me questions about what I'm doing and whether I've eaten, showered, had enough to drink, talked to other people today etc. When I'm alone, I talk to myself and explain what I'm doing. I find it calming and it helps me keep track of where I am in terms of progress.

Like you, I am also a visual thinker. I have a strong imagination. When thinking of a solution to a problem, I imagine the stages visually in my head. Often when listening to music I think of visuals to go along with it, sometimes making up possible animations for the song. I think that my wandering visual mind can be quite useful, but it has downsides if I don't keep it in check. Admittedly I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out that I have ADD but I'm not diagnosed with anything. I haven't learnt how to drive yet so I've no idea how that's going to go.

 

[Ursus Chainus]

I’ve never really tried meditation, it’s not really my kind of thing. But I could see how it helps in keeping your mind clear and focused!

How do you know it is not your kind of thing if you have never tried it?

I think there are a lot of misconceptions about meditation. The most common is number 5 below. There are many different kinds... Zen can be kind of brutal, lol.

Basically it comes down to this:

1. The only thing you have that is regular and you can pay attention to, is your breath
2. Our minds are constantly disturbed by thought
3. These thoughts are often about seeking pleasure, avoiding pain, Thinking about painful things, thinking about pleasurable things. This is the "Monkey Mind".
4. True peace comes from not clinging to these thoughts, negative or positive
5. Meditation is not about not thinking, it is about noticing these thoughts
6. You say in your head, I am thinking this thought... then pay attention to your breath
When a difficult thought like... "dang I really messed up that social interaction!" happens... you notice it and then you go back to your breath.

I have a horrible problem thinking about mistakes I have made with people, Things I have done wrong socially and interpersonally. I have had incredible amounts of loss in my life and I think about that loss. I have not been interpersonally physically sexual in over 10 years... so my mind can wander in that direction. When I have no outlet (yeah... I really miss it, lol)... I focus on my breath.

When I have intense feelings... which I have a lot of... I can get totally overwhelmed. With new intense feelings that I am not used to, I learn how to breath through them. After that... I can feel those things happily without becoming overwhelmed.

It isn't always easy, but it is an incredible tool for anyone.... and paying attention to your breath is not against any religion that I know of In fact most religions have a version of this. It is really not a religious act at all.

 

[Ursus Chainus]

@SliverOfSand

Yep. I relate this a lot. There have been times where I've told someone to shut up because I'm writing (if the information isn't the same as what I'm writing). Otherwise I'll end up writing that. I've done that with song lyrics when I've zoned out, thought of a song, and written the lyrics absentmindedly when I was meant to be writing something else.

When watching TV, I dislike it when people talk to me about it. That draws me out of the experience and I miss out on information. I can't focus on both and I end up understanding neither.

My mind can go in all sorts of directions if I let it. However, I do have methods of focusing myself. Unfortunately, I have the opposite issue too, where I'm too focused on something. Where I'm so wrapped up in a task and suddenly it's 3 AM and I've missed meals because I forgot to eat. Strange as it is, I like to imagine either myself or someone else asking me questions about what I'm doing and whether I've eaten, showered, had enough to drink, talked to other people today etc. When I'm alone, I talk to myself and explain what I'm doing. I find it calming and it helps me keep track of where I am in terms of progress.

Like you, I am also a visual thinker. I have a strong imagination. When thinking of a solution to a problem, I imagine the stages visually in my head. Often when listening to music I think of visuals to go along with it, sometimes making up possible animations for the song. I think that my wandering visual mind can be quite useful, but it has downsides if I don't keep it in check. Admittedly I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out that I have ADD but I'm not diagnosed with anything. I haven't learnt how to drive yet so I've no idea how that's going to go.

Haha... This is pretty much my experience and I have "ADD". My mind is constantly moving visuals. My wife talks to me when I am trying to focus on just about anything... sometimes I accidentally snap at her

When I listen to "Symphony Number 6" by Beethoven, I am pulled right into nature in my head. Holst, "The Planets" pulls me into Greek and Roman mythology and I see things in my head... pretty trippy and cool! Don't even get me started on listening to these things on acid!

Driving is a trip. I can drive pretty well and I am safe BUT... I will be driving down the road and start thinking of the physics involved with moving this sack of meat and organs that is me down the road at over 100 kmh and I have to pull over... don't get me started about driving over bridges and in high winds... yikes!

 

[Ursus Chainus]

Same here, and my stuff might be anything from the properties of neutron stars to Supernatural villains.

I build massive spaceships in my head that I can escape people and earth in

 

[SliverOfSand]

@SliverOfSand

Yep. I relate this a lot. There have been times where I've told someone to shut up because I'm writing (if the information isn't the same as what I'm writing). Otherwise I'll end up writing that. I've done that with song lyrics when I've zoned out, thought of a song, and written the lyrics absentmindedly when I was meant to be writing something else.

When watching TV, I dislike it when people talk to me about it. That draws me out of the experience and I miss out on information. I can't focus on both and I end up understanding neither.

My mind can go in all sorts of directions if I let it. However, I do have methods of focusing myself. Unfortunately, I have the opposite issue too, where I'm too focused on something. Where I'm so wrapped up in a task and suddenly it's 3 AM and I've missed meals because I forgot to eat. Strange as it is, I like to imagine either myself or someone else asking me questions about what I'm doing and whether I've eaten, showered, had enough to drink, talked to other people today etc. When I'm alone, I talk to myself and explain what I'm doing. I find it calming and it helps me keep track of where I am in terms of progress.

Like you, I am also a visual thinker. I have a strong imagination. When thinking of a solution to a problem, I imagine the stages visually in my head. Often when listening to music I think of visuals to go along with it, sometimes making up possible animations for the song. I think that my wandering visual mind can be quite useful, but it has downsides if I don't keep it in check. Admittedly I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out that I have ADD but I'm not diagnosed with anything. I haven't learnt how to drive yet so I've no idea how that's going to go.

This is exactly my experience! Especially talking to myself. When I’m home alone I like to talk to myself, it sort of channels my inner dialogue to be more focused, because when I’m speaking my mind isn’t as chaotically jumbled as when I’m just thinking. I can see why you use it as a tool to focus more on tasks, I should try it myself!

 

[Sara3]

I’d say so! Unless the texture has lots of bumps or holes, then I try to avoid those as much as possible...
I also like to stare at every little detail of a room, sort of like a ‘where’s Waldo’, just without the Waldo.

Yes. I stare at room details too! When the room has paintings, decorations or is full of little things.

 

[Ursus Chainus]

Yes. I stare at room details too! When the room has paintings, decorations or is full of little things.

Room details are great... also seeing patterns in things that they try to hide... like tiles that are supposed to look random but are the same print arranged in different ways.

Does anyone space out on the details in a movie or video and start trying to piece together the place and time it was filmed? Totally missing out on the intended content...

 

[Rae Ray]

a big yes yes yes on spacing out. i can be doing something and i think of a little thing and if i continue, it's like spiraling into a thought is the best way to describe it. it will keep getting tighter and tighter into thought and then something will like snap me out of it. sometimes hours will go by. i have always done this. why is this??? it didn't bother me until now. i thought it was just me and now i find out- everybody - is doing it.

 

[VictorR]

Does anyone space out on the details in a movie or video and start trying to piece together the place and time it was filmed? Totally missing out on the intended content...

Time, not so much, but I love calling out locations when I recognize them on screen, especially if it's being portrayed as something else.

I also get upset when something is historically incorrect.

 

[Aspychata]

I space out a lot.

My mother and her men all called me "bubble boy" when I was a kid. It is one of my favorite states of being. I have constant multiple tracks of thought going on in my head and it is nice to be on a track that is less noisy. I don't space out as much as I used to because I meditate now, although meditation has worked itself into my moment by moment existence... so it might look like spacing out

I suffer from that too:multiple tracks of thoughts like marbles running around on track, maybe this is spacing out in it's finest form.

 

[Siv]

I space out a lot especially in school or zoom meetings.

 

[Sarah S]

That’s good to hear! I’m just curious, but when you are driving, do you have a specific strategy for concentrating, or do you find that staying focused while on the road just comes naturally to you?

To me its just built in natural that when on the road i concentrate on the road Were i space out is when im at home and watching TV etc.... And reading . And sometimes also just dont doing anything.

Despite all my gazilion diagnosis and co morbids to them etc.... I have learnt to deal with them and live with them over the years thank god. BUT the road here has been LOONG and crooked thats for shore

And reg the talking to youre self /TV /radio etc.... OH yes ALL the time . Who else am i gonna talk to im always alone

 

[Aspychata]

Guilty of that talking to myself, (hangs head in shame). Because it helps me feel normal somehow. Like l need to think out loud, therefore l exist.

 

[Sarah S]

Guilty of that talking to myself, (hangs head in shame). Because it helps me feel normal somehow. Like l need to think out loud, therefore l exist.

No need to feel ashamed my friend we are as we are and there is NO reason for us to have to feel ashamed of any of it.

 

[Ella Spell]

I am diagnosed ASD and combined type ADHD, and I can relate to everything you said. I was called spacy, spaced out, and stunned as a child. I was teased as an adult for appearing to stare into space with a vacant gaze. I can't hold a train of thought and my executive function (starting / finishing, organisation) is quite weak. Please note that ADD is now under the umbrella of ADHD and not a separate disorder. So, if you are doing research about it or looking for an assessment you can search for ADHD.

 

[SliverOfSand]

I am diagnosed ASD and combined type ADHD, and I can relate to everything you said. I was called spacy, spaced out, and stunned as a child. I was teased as an adult for appearing to stare into space with a vacant gaze. I can't hold a train of thought and my executive function (starting / finishing, organisation) is quite weak. Please note that ADD is now under the umbrella of ADHD and not a separate disorder. So, if you are doing research about it or looking for an assessment you can search for ADHD.

I also have similar problems with staying organized/on task with certain things (that aren’t special interests). Thanks for the information on ADHD! I read an article about ADD a while ago, and it didn’t sound anything like what I thought ADHD was, but now that I know it’s in the same category I’ll be doing some more research on it!

 

[Ella Spell]

I didn't think I was ADHD either, because of the stereotypes. I thought ADHD meant that people are physically active and running around the room all the time, or blurting out answers. I'm selective mute so I rarely blurt, and I'm definitely not physically overactive. They explained that it's my mind which is hyperactive. I can't shut my mind off even though I look like I'm calm and still. I didn't know that stims can be considered a type of fidget too. I stim A LOT.

On my report they rated me highest on the ADD scores but my ADHD scores were still clinically significant and enough to disrupt my daily life by causing me to lose things or have poor sleep.
ADD was about 75% and ADHD was about 25%, or something like that. I'd have to double check. Adding Autism to the mix makes our diagnostic profile even more interesting.

My ASD identification was two years prior to the ADHD tests which took about 20 hours.

I think it was worth it though.

 

[Rae Ray]

This is exactly my experience! Especially talking to myself. When I’m home alone I like to talk to myself, it sort of channels my inner dialogue to be more focused, because when I’m speaking my mind isn’t as chaotically jumbled as when I’m just thinking. I can see why you use it as a tool to focus more on tasks, I should try it myself!

This "Spacing Out" post (my opinion)has been one of the better discussions we've had yet. i have experienced much of what everybody has been talking about. Great job SliverOfSand !