How often does your mind "space out"?

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In the Zone topic

This is the explanation I was looking for.

Fatigue will do it, too.

Fatigue is my most likely trigger. But I'm rarely anything but fatigued, partly because I have so much excess energy, I constantly wear myself out, while forgetting to do things like sleep.

People have accused my of spacing out but most likely I'm trying to solve a complex problem in my head or I'm just in a reflective mood. I spend 90% of the time thinking/reflecting and I often feel a bit irritable and on edge when the outside world keeps interrupting my thoughts. I've always wondered if "normal" busy people never think or reflect. My immediate thought is "sucks for them" but they probably don't derive as much joy from simply pondering over things as I do. Instead they either fill their time with pointless babble or concentrate their attention on menial activities. I don't get it.

I do when i'm real relaxed or have been thinking way too much. I like it sometimes but other times it can be hard to snap out of.

I've had similar thoughts. Everybody yells at me that I need to work harder on all this day to day stuff to fit in that seems so trivial to me in the scheme of things. I feel sorry for them that they get so lost in the ritual of people pleasing and fitting the mold that they get no down time to ponder the workings of the universe or the beauty in watching a complex mathematical equation find a solution. Can't quite figure out why they feel sorry for me.

a few times a day, probably close to 10!

Greetings,

This is a really interesting thread to me because I believe that spacing out in school causes my 14 yro Aspie son to struggle in school with organization, turning work in on time, writing down assignments, etc. In short, I think spacing out is a huge part of why he struggles in school and gets very frustrated. He wants to do well, and is certainly intelligent enough, but he is very frustrated in school, and we just haven't found out why or how to help him.

So after reading this thread, I asked him his experience with spacing out. He told me that he spaces out like 20 times a day. He told me that he feels like he can't control it, and he doesn't think that diet or fatigue have anything to do with it. He says that he would prefer not to space out all the time, but it is not an unpleasant experience.

Please, let me ask you all the following questions: Can you control the spaciness, or at the least, force yourself to focus when you have to like in school or at work? Do you have any strategies for dealing with spaciness in situations where you have to be alert and paying attention? Any suggestions on what to tell my son regarding how to cope with this?

Thanks very much in advance, DD.

In High School and college I got my daydreaming/spacing out under control by giving myself permission to daydream either after the teacher's lecture, or during the time he/she would lecture about things I was sure that I already knew. Though, what works for me might or might not work for anyone else. Also, I had help from special ed.

mine spaces out whenever I try to think about 'the future'.

I have been spaced out almost my entire life.

What was this thread about, again?

How come this poll doesn't include a "whenever I smoke cannabis" option?

I get really bad after talking about something, or if a conversation just goes on for too long. I'll space out entirely and not hear a single word being said.

I also have a lot of moments where I'm in the middle of doing something and I start thinking about something else. Before I know it, I've been sitting there staring at the wall for half an hour without realizing it, and can't remember what I was doing before I got so lost in my thoughts. It happens when I'm talking too... mid-sentence I'll just go completely quiet and sit there staring at the floor. Can never remember what I was talking about... it drives me NUTS!

Reply to DenvrDave,

I have trained myself to
force yourself to focus when you have to like in school or at work?

strategies I used
-motivational 'carrots'
-step approach to target
-super attentive focus on THE PRESENT (time, job and coming carrot). Even if distracted-come back to the present, eventual your persistence shows and works.
-No talking (if possible/or minimal) when doing multi -tasks /critical thinking in jobs and actions.
-Stop emotion entering zone of work needing to be done: very important not to 'get worried'
-Eat well, exercise, sleep as it fits YOUR body rhythm and rest areas and scheduled times.
- I also have found when I'm doing this type of 'focus' I have to have my 'world at home neat' (not obsessional neat/just in order.
- Plus the usuals that all people would use, Persistence perseverance and practice.

Other people might not know how much effort , is put into the 'stay focused/not spacing ' ratio, but the person doing it does- my point is be your own evaluator/set your standards and ceiling, make it manageable for the environment you have to deal with, and always pat yourself on your back...self -empowerment without hurting self, others or things.

Only a couple times of day usually related to a loud noises, however, those can also result in a full out panic attack.

Bonny, thank you so much for the concise list of suggestions, that a most useful post and gives me better insight.

LOL @ swforests