[justfloating]

There's another post on here about depression causing concentration troubles, and it got me to wondering if there might be some way around it. I have so much work to do for school right now (end of term crunch time ... blah!) but I can't concentrate on it for more than a few minutes at a time, and I tend to put it off and waste my time playing solitaire or staring blankly out the window. In lectures, I tend to zone out after a few minutes. I can only seem to concentrate on my work if it's dire -- as in, the essay I've had three weeks to prepare is due TOMORROW and I HAVE to work on it, but even then I don't put in as much effort as I could because I can't focus enough to do anything more than scribble down something -- anything! -- to write the required number of words so I can hand the darn thing in.

The concentration troubles aren't totally about my work either -- I can't focus on my writing, which is terribly painful to me because it's the thing I'm most passionate about. Before the depression hit, I could spend an entire day writing without stopping. Now, I'm lucky if I can get in half an hour before I'm off staring into space or doodling in the margins of my page. I haven't read a full book for myself in a long time either -- I could spend hours and hours reading, but now I can't make it through a single chapter without getting antsy or distracted. All of a sudden I'll decide I want a snack, or to check my email (even though I checked it ten minutes ago), or to turn up the heat or to make some tea ... none of which are essential, but they'll suddenly be all I can think about and I can't get my mind to go back to what I was doing. I can't even hold long conversations without my mind wandering off, and I know it frustrates people even though they seem to think that my short attention span is just one of my "quirks".

Are there any tricks to improving my concentration, or am I just going to have to wait for the meds to take care of that symptom too, with time, just like everything else? Before the depression, I had amazing concentration. It's why I could do so well in school. It's why there are books stuffed into every nook and cranny of my bedroom. It's why I have a box in my basement stuffed full of notebooks that I filled while I was in my teens. Now it's just gone, and I want it back!! I'm so frustrated!!!

[leacon]

I know no tricks dealing with work but I do with enjoyment reading. I use the audio books especially at night before I go to sleep. Helps to listen to it and forget all the rest.

[Berries]

When i was in school, i had 2 tricks. One was--do two things at once. Especially watch a stupid comedy DVD at the same time i was taking notes from a text book. Then, i would go back and forth in concentrating from the TV to the book and my notes.
Two was--get a calendar and write a homework goal for each day and a reward if i finished that goal. The rewards were more symbolic than anything. A cup of tea, a bubble bath, checking and writing emails, calling and making weekend plans with a friend, painting...

[googley]

I'm sorry your having such a hard time concentrating. I always have to deal with this when I get depressed. I don't know any full proof ways for getting through lectures, but I do second the doing two things at once, such as reading and watching t.v. That's how I do it. Also one thing I do is I try not to stress out about loosing my concentration. When I realize that I have I just direct myself back to what I was working on before. I know it will take longer but this way I don't get angry with myself for getting distracted. The other thing I do is I cut things that I have to do down into really small steps. If I am reading a text book, it may be reading three pages, instead of a whole chapter. If it is writing a paper, I may make my goal writing two paragraphs. Once I have accomplished those I take a very short break and then come back and concentrate on what I was working on. Or if I have a real lot to concentrate on, I will work on one thing (writing a page) then reading then writing again. This way I am taking breaks from each individual activity, but still continuing to get work done.

Good Luck!

[Rohag]

Oh, to have at least something of my old powers of concentration back! I read too much of my present self in your post, Justfloating. I'm well medicated, and yet consistency in mobilizing attention for either duties or pleasures is beyond me.

The ideas above about deliberately planning two simultaneous activities appeal to me. These days I'm almost completely functioning on random impulses. When an impulse rises up within, I exploit it for as long as focus and energy will allow.

[Berries]

i thought of something else i did in school to keep focused during lectures.
i took notes on every single thing the professor said. It really kept my focus on what he was saying and my mind didn't wander off as long as i was both listening and writing it down.