Concentration tips

Haha this made me laugh.  I can see how easy it would be to get like that!  My lists have to be written in pencil, and in a different handwriting to my normal writing-no idea why, and just with a simple box to tick after.  That’s the only thing that seems to work, and even that’s questionable most days!

I got told I probably have inattentive adhd.  I’ve always struggled to get started on stuff, and always done every single essay/form/application last minute.  Usually staying up all night the night before it’s due in.  They said at my assessment I have very poor executive functioning.  

The key is to do it everyday ( 5 10 15 ....30mins ) whatever u pick and  eventually u notice very slow changes (months). Even when u get it wrong, the failed attempt is a victory because u attempted ( it sinks in unconsciously) and u try again tomorrow . . . . . . . . . .

It's good that you managed to work through it - that's reassuring to hear. I'll have to try and practise doing it.

yes it took me months to get it correct,  to even get 5 mins without my mind interrupting but thats normal/expected. i just kept watching youtube videos on meditation until i think i am getting it correct. i have 2 main persistent and  recurring thoughts which i am slowly defeating ( a wee bit like OCD but not what u are experiencing I wud say )

Thanks Aidie. Did you ever find meditation difficult? I have OCD and really struggle to be alone with my thoughts.

i know i have concentration issues so I took up meditation to improve concentration and it did improve my concentration .

Thanks for the info - that's really interesting. I am actually quite fascinated to find out the results of my diagnostic assessment (that's if I ever get to the end of the waiting list... 10 months and counting!).

Yes, exactly that! I tell myself over and over again "you're only making things worse by procrastinating", but I never quite seem to learn.

Re ADHD and autism ;the American Psychiatric Association (APA) stated for years that the two conditions couldn’t be diagnosed in the same person. In 2013, the APA changed its stance. With the release of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), the APA states that the two conditions can co-occur.

In a 2014 review of studies looking at the co-occurrence of ADHD and ASD, researchers found that between 30 to 50 percent of people with ASD also have symptoms of ADHD. Researchers don’t fully understand the cause for either condition, or why they occur together so frequently.

Both conditions may be linked to genetics. One study identified a rare gene that may be linked to both conditions. This finding could explain why these conditions often occur in the same person.

Randomness is a good idea. I've been known to spend two hours on a to-do list (no exaggeration) because I obsess about colour coding, categorising and prioritising... not to mention making sure it all looks neat on the page. I've had to simplify my to-do lists to stop myself from falling into that trap!

Do you find that the cramming stresses you out? It's so odd - I know that I could help myself by just getting the task(s) done, but the more I worry about it, the longer it takes me to get started. It's a vicious circle.

To be honest, I'm still waiting for my autism assessment and they sent my pre-assessment questionnaires for both autism and ADHD... so maybe they're assessing me for both. Not sure if it means they suspect ADHD or if they're just standard forms - the letter didn't really explain.

I'm terrible for putting things off and pulling all-nighters to get them done before the deadline. It's not the healthiest approach!

DaveAsperg said:

I find I often put things off and don't plan then stay up all night once I get in to it. Usually the night before it's due to be submitted!

I've always been a "crammer" too - whether it was with my homework for school, or even profoundly important things like applying for benefits when I'm on the verge of homelessness, or making a doctor's appointment after my usual month of "waiting in agony to see if it goes away by itself."

I think you're right about the ADHD type tendencies (at one time you couldn't be diagnosed with both because they were though to overlap.) From talking with people who are diagnosed with ADHD on other forums, I get the impression that quite a lot of autistic people have traits very similar to the "pure inattentive" form of ADHD (i.e. without the impulsiveness and hyperactivity.)

Fraiselongue said:

I blame smartphones

I refuse to have one, as I know it would become a rabbit-hole that I'd disappear down at the slightest opportunity (well, that and just hating telephones full stop - I've only had a mobile phone at all for just over a year.)

Something that I find helps me sometimes with lists is to introduce a bit of randomness to take the choice out of my hands. Listing the items is usually easy enough for me, but I then get stuck in "analysis paralysis" trying prioritise them or come up with clever "time saving" (ha ha) ways to order them. Working on the basis that getting anything done is better than doing nothing, I'll break the deadlock by using dice or pulling an item out of tombola to choose. It spurs my mind to switch from "planning" (procrastinating) mode into "action" mode, and it's surprising how many list items I'll then get ticked off once I've got started.

I thought autistic people were usually the opposite, but realise some have this problem, which seems a bit like ADHD or having other worries that fill the mind and being unable to get priorities correct.

I find I often put things off and don't plan then stay up all night once I get in to it. Usually the night before it's due to be submitted!

It's just too easy to hop onto social media or start Googling random things when you're trying to work.

Haha, I've fallen into that trap before  I'll also tell myself I can read one chapter of a book, then that chapter ends on a cliffhanger... 3 hours later, the book's finished and the assignment is not!

Thank you - I hope so! I'd be happy for you to read it once it's all done (although there's a long way to go)  The ideas people gave me here really helped - I managed to finish a section of my lit review that I'd been struggling to get into.

That sounds like a hot topic, your dissertation will actually be useful. How did you get on yesterday? I will be interested in reading your work when you are done, no pressure

Yep. When I was at uni I would get distracted by the internet on my laptop but if I was reading or making notes it would be a big inconvenience to load it all up. Now I can't sit through an advert break without checking my phone. 

My difficulty was "when you finish this, you can watch a 30min ep of a TV show"...3 hrs later I'd be finishing the series.