Ways to increase attention span

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poodlelover81
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Ways to increase attention span

Post by poodlelover81 »

Hello, I've seen similar questions but not the same one as I'm about to ask. In school, I don't have a hard time understanding things ( I was in the humanities. Don't ask me about technology or geometry- that's a completely different story. ). Rather, I have a very difficult time planning and organizing my time unless if I have it color-coded on a calendar. This was possible in school, but I still had a short attention span. I can usually focus on something for only 20 minutes before I have to take a break to walk around, check e-mail,Facebook, and Twitter all at once, and then the task is quickly forgotten. However, this makes so many things which I might be able to learn with a lot of hard work--applying for jobs, cooking, and driving impossible. I hope to eventually not be dependent on my parents, I'm American so eventually I would have to learn how to drive(and Private Drive Times are are 3 hours without any breaks :( ). We don't have public transportation in the places we call suburbs. I'm in Europe now so that solves my transport issue, but eventually I'm going to have to move to the city or learn how to drive. Driver I need a way to increase my concentration to learn basic life skills, so I can pay attention an hour. Anyone who can give me pointers, it would be appreciated sooo much.
ssuma
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Re: Ways to increase attention span

Post by ssuma »

poodlelover81 wrote:Hello, I've seen similar questions but not the same one as I'm about to ask. In school, I don't have a hard time understanding things ( I was in the humanities. Don't ask me about technology or geometry- that's a completely different story. ). Rather, I have a very difficult time planning and organizing my time unless if I have it color-coded on a calendar. This was possible in school, but I still had a short attention span. I can usually focus on something for only 20 minutes before I have to take a break to walk around, check e-mail,Facebook, and Twitter all at once, and then the task is quickly forgotten. However, this makes so many things which I might be able to learn with a lot of hard work--applying for jobs, cooking, and driving impossible. I hope to eventually not be dependent on my parents, I'm American so eventually I would have to learn how to drive(and Private Drive Times are are 3 hours without any breaks :( ). We don't have public transportation in the places we call suburbs. I'm in Europe now so that solves my transport issue, but eventually I'm going to have to move to the city or learn how to drive. Driver I need a way to increase my concentration to learn basic life skills, so I can pay attention an hour. Anyone who can give me pointers, it would be appreciated sooo much.
Good question. I struggled with similar problems. As of now, I can yet find a perfect solution to it.

Btw, I applaud you. I rarely could focus on something I find tedious for more than 10 minutes. Consequently your attention span is two times more than mine. In fact, I read a psychological report that says on average, most ppl's attention span is 10 minutes at max, so your attention span is better than average. That said, I have develop ways to work and study more effectively through my undergraduate to graduate years. Over time, I come to accept that I have poor attention span, consequently, I start my work early whenever possible, so it give me time for "breaks" when I start working. Moreover, I have a very weird habits for reading. I usually sit down and read a journal for 10-20 minutes, then I walk around reflecting what I just learn for just that long. It took me longer to digest reading materials, but it did allow me to achieve the same results as people don't suffer from the same problem.

I can drive. However, I know I am not a great driver. Consequently, I tend to drive only when I know the traffic is not busy and places I am familiar with. In case I need to drive to some places I feel uncomfortable, I usually ask a family member or friend that I trust to accompany me.

I am not sure whether my situation can apply to you since even though we all learned differently. I notice you have some very good strategies in place, which is very good. However, what I really learn in my lifetime is that learning is a long process that never ends, and that creativity is man's best tool, consequently, one pointer I really want to share is that you should just keep trying and explore new ways to coup with the situation so you can achieve your goal in life. Remember, all roads led to Rome. It may take us longer than most, but we can get there. :)
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