Ask HN: How to fix my nonexistent focus?

10 points by lampooned 11 years ago | 6 comments

For as long as I can remember, I've had awful focus. But I've never done about it.

It's really effecting me in school as I put everything off as long as possible then have to really force myself to work. I find it really difficult. I envy my friends who can focus for hours on the most boring work imaginable. How do I get like this? Any tips would be great.

mjwhansen 11 years ago |

As someone who was diagnosed with ADD at age 10 and eventually discovered my own ways of beating it, I'll share a few ideas. But note that what works for me, or someone else, may not work for you and you'll have to slough through things to find your own fix.

Band-aids:

  - Caffeine (tea is best since it's like an XR version of coffee)

  - Testing for any vitamin/mineral deficiencies that may be causing tiredness that's displaying as an inability to focus, like low iron or b-vitamins (just examples, go see your doctor)

More longer-term solutions:

  - Read "Getting Things Done" and re-read it until you internalize it

  - Use an app like OmniFocus to organize to-dos and give yourself a sense of achievement/little adrenaline rush when you complete something (especially small things, like make bed, read 25 pages of book, one homework assignment, etc)

  - Change your study habits: turn off your phone and put it in the drawer, disconnect from the Internet if possible, relocate to a different location where there are fewer distractions (coffee shop, library, etc), give yourself small blocks of time to study (after all, work expands to fit the time allocated)

Longest-term solution:

  - Gain enough life experience, self-awareness, and fear of failing out of school that you eventually figure out what works for you.

Hope that helps!

runjake 11 years ago |

* Eat well. Make sure you're getting enough calories, good fats, protein, iron, B vitamins, vitamin C, etc

* Sleep well. Different people need different amounts. Mine is 7 hours.

* Exercise daily. Even if walking for 10 minutes.

* Take good care of your teeth and floss daily. For whatever reason, this seems to be a pivot thing for me. If I'm taking care of my teeth everything falls into place, kind of like the famous Adm. McRaven speech on making your bed every morning.

Most importantly:

* Reduce your sensory inputs to increase your mindfulness. Stop checking the web every 20 minutes. Stop checking your phone every 10 minutes. Stop listening to podcasts on your commute. Let your mind sit and calm itself. If you're like most of the HN demographic, you're probably trying to fill it with information constantly. Stop that. Learn to say "no" to the needless.

webnrrd2k 11 years ago |

Have you tried meditation? One way of looking at it is as a 2,000+ year old tradition of attention training. I highly recommend Googling "pragmatic Buddhism", "Mindfulness in Plain English", and "Mindsight" by Dan Siegel. But the most important thing is to spend a little time practicing every day.

It's not a fast or easy solution, but I've found meditation actually works.

MichaelCrawford 11 years ago |

Possibly you have ADHD. I suggest you read Hollowell and Ratey's "Driven to Distraction". If it sounds eerily familiar, consult either a psychiatrist or neurologist.

I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2008, the day after I came within an hour of jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge, but chose to admit myself to a psychiatric hospital instead.

staunch 11 years ago |

Make sure you're sleeping well. Go to sleep by a certain time, and wake up naturally every day, for a week. It took me years to learn that, for me, consistent sleep results in consistent productivity. An exhausted brain is an undisciplined brain.

saminiir 11 years ago |

YMMV, but meditation, hands down. It will eradicate anxiety and stress, all of which affect your energy levels and concentration.