Trouble focusing on one thing when you have to switch focus

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infilove
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04 Dec 2015, 2:23 pm

Do you have trouble focusing on one thing when you know you have to focus on something else soon like in five minutes? I find I struggle with that. For example, I find I can't studying something if I know I have to get up and leave the house on ten minutes to go to an appointment. No matter how hard I try, it's like I can't focus on task for that ten minutes when I know I have something else I need to do. It's like more then half of my focus is going towards preparing for the next task. Do you struggle with that too?


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eggheadjr
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04 Dec 2015, 2:40 pm

Yes - very much so. I've always thought it was part-and-parcel of being autistic.


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04 Dec 2015, 3:17 pm

Yes, but in my case it is because I worry (with sound evidence-based reason based on past experience) that I will get so wrapped up in whatever I'm doing now, that I fail completely to switch to a different task.

I have, with a decent degree of success, made good use of a kitchen timer to address this issue (or the alarm on my smartphone). Once I set the alarm, I find myself much more able to make better use of the 'wait' time, because I know I will get a reminder when it is time to move.



cavernio
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04 Dec 2015, 5:20 pm

Yes, but not enough to pick it out as 'this is when focussing is hardest'.


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nick007
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06 Dec 2015, 2:53 am

I've had that problem all my life.


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goatfish57
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06 Dec 2015, 5:44 am

Yes, I have trained myself to stay focused on a single task. Being interrupted causes me great consternation. This was especially troublesome in a busy work environment.

I have large time buffers around my activities to address the problem you are discussing.


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izzeme
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07 Dec 2015, 3:35 am

I have trained myself in using 'side processes', where i can park the current task while doing another, or prepare the following task while doing the first; this helps with multitasking: i don't have to close a task to start a new one.
I normally have 4-5 tasks floating around in my mind at any one time in this way



Malus_Domestica
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07 Dec 2015, 12:20 pm

Yup, I have that. I pace and fidget and if I'm leaving the house I often end up leaving too early so I have to kill time before meeting people.


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