Are you often absent minded?
- Do you lose your attention while working, studying or reading?
- Do you forget where you put your eyeglasses or phone?
- Sometimes, when you are out, do you start worrying whether you locked your door or turned off the stove?
- Do you lose attention in the midst of a conversation?
- Do you start a task, and then get distracted and begin doing something else, leaving the previous task unfinished?
If the above questions are true for you, it means that you are absent minded.
It is a common habit that you can stop. You can become less absent minded and more attentive.
What Is Absent Mindedness
Absent Mindedness means lack of attention. It means being mentally somewhere else.
You have most probably heard the phrase “absent-minded professor”. These words describe people who are so engrossed in their own world that they fail to keep track of their surroundings.
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- Being absent minded does not necessarily mean forgetfulness. It could mean that you are preoccupied or absorbed in something else, and therefore, are inattentive to your immediate surroundings.
- It could mean that you are easily distracted by thoughts, people and external events, due to lack of focus.
- Being absent minded could be a symptom of being tired and exhausted after a day’s work.
- It could be due to worries and problems take take your full attention.
Most people are sometimes, absent minded in certain situations and circumstances. This is natural, and you need not worry about it.
However, if you think that your situation is more severe, you might need to consult a professional for help.
How to Stop Being Absent Minded?
How to become less absent minded?
There are various things you can do, and here, we will focus on a few simple things you can do.
Read on, to find tips you can use to stop being absent minded.
1. Lack of focus and attention
The main reason for being absent minded is lack of focus and attention, which leads to being inattentive. If your mind is always busy with something else, you don’t pay attention to what you are doing at the moment.
When you are not attentive you don’t remember well what you did. This is not forgetfulness, because your mind was somewhere else. It is as if you are in a different world.
If you want to stop being absent minded and inattentive you need to improve your focus and concentration.
Strive to focus on your actions, on your tasks and on your work. Simply, each time your mind wanders away, bring it back to focus on what you are doing.
Persistence will eventually bring results.
2. Multitasking
Avoid multitasking. Do one thing at a time, instead of trying to carry out several tasks simultaneously. Doing one thing at a time makes you more efficient.
Trying to accomplish several tasks at the same time prevents you from focusing well on each task. This can lead to making errors and mistakes. When you do too many things at the same time, none of them is done particularly well.
It is best to do one thing at a time.
3. Daydreaming
Daydreaming is a pleasant activity, but if you indulge in it while busy with other things, you might lose your attention and get absorbed in your daydreams. This implies that your attention is not under your control.
Be careful not to daydream while listening to a lecture, working, reading or studying.
If you catch yourself daydreaming or thinking of other matters, immediately bring your attention back to what you are doing.
4. Watching TV
How many hours do you sit in front of your TV screen, watching movies and other programs?
If you watch TV, and do other things at the same time, you do them absent minded way, and therefore, inefficiently.
Watching too much TV weakens your willpower, your self-discipline, and your ability to control your thoughts.
5. Get enough sleep
Get enough sleep at night, since lack of sleep weakens your focus and attention and leads to being absent minded.
Some people need more sleep, and others less. The average time is about 6-8 hours a night.
6. Don’t dwell on worries
Avoid fretting and worrying, since they keep your mind agitated and less attentive. Overcoming this habit is possible, if you strive to focus on what you are doing, keep yourself busy, and try to think positively.
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7. A list of tasks
Make a list of the important tasks for each day and check it often, so you won’t forget what you need to do.
8. Being Bored
Boredom often leads to being inattentive. This happens in lectures, while listening to a boring conversation, or while doing a boring and monotonous work.
To avoid boredom, try to be more interested in the subject that is being discussed. Ask questions, join the conversation, and do your work in a different way. This would require your focus and attention, making your more attentive and less absent-minded.
Taking a few deep breaths, drinking water or eating a fruit can help you restore your attention when you are bored.
9.Lost in thoughts
Are you sometimes lost in thoughts and become unaware of your surroundings?
Often, when you are preoccupied with a certain thought, when you worry too much, and when you are stressed, you might get lost in your thoughts. Your attention might go far away and you lose contact with what is happening around you.
Again, the remedy is focus. You need to focus on the present moment, and no matter how many times your mind wanders away, always bring it back.
10. Switch off your phone
When doing work or carrying out a task that requires attention, switch off your phone or put it away, so as not to scatter your attention by texting, messaging, checking your email or conversing with friends.
11. Focus on what you are doing
Learn to focus on what you are doing, especially when doing something that requires focus and attention. Learning to focus is the best remedy against being absent minded.
I hope you find these tips useful.
Improve your concentration!
Increase your attention span!
Learn to Focus Your Attention
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About the Author
My name is Remez Sasson. I am the author and creator of SuccessConsciousness.com, which I have been running since 2001. Join me on a fabulous journey to self improvement, happiness, success, positive lifestyle, conscious living and meditation, through my website, articles and books.