Difficulty concentrating
Have you noticed that concentrating is taking more effort than it used to? Perhaps you find yourself reading the same text several times. Or do you forget what you were just about to do, or get easily distracted by noise, notifications or conversations? This can be frustrating, especially if you’re used to being able to do lots of things at once. Concentration problems can affect your work, studies and home life. Tasks take longer, you make mistakes and your mind feels overwhelmed more quickly. People often try to try harder, but that doesn’t always help. Sometimes, what’s needed is actually peace and quiet, structure and fewer distractions.
What do you notice?
Concentration problems can manifest in very different ways. Sometimes it’s about maintaining focus. Sometimes it’s about getting started, switching tasks or finishing what you’ve started.
You may, for example, notice that:
- you are easily distracted;
- you have difficulty reading or listening;
- you forget what you were going to do;
- tasks take longer than usual;
- you are more likely to make mistakes;
- you find it difficult to multitask;
- if your head feels full or foggy;
- you feel very tired after tasks requiring concentration;
- you lose track of your appointments or deadlines.
Sometimes you can concentrate at the right moments, but not when you’re tired or have been exposed to a lot of stimuli. This variability can make you feel uncertain.
