Feeling distracted is a common and understandable feeling. There is likely more than one or two things vying for your attention at any given time. These can be external things like your children, work, or household tasks, or it could be internal, such as intrusive thoughts, feelings of worry, and trying not to forget things. Oftentimes it’s all of those things at once competing for space in your mind.
It’s important to note that feeling easily distracted, disorganized, or unable to complete tasks does not mean you have a clinical diagnosis of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). While it’s POSSIBLE that something like this could be impacting your current level of functioning, it does not mean you automatically have the diagnosis. If you feel that you may have symptoms of ADHD and would like further information, please consult your primary care provider, a psychiatrist, or a mental health therapist for evaluation and testing.
I often hear women reporting feeling easily distracted, having difficulty staying on tasks and/or completing tasks, and feeling overwhelmed because of this. I also see how these symptoms can create additional stressors such as feeling unmotivated, lack of self-confidence, negative thoughts of self, lack of patience, difficulty parenting, trouble meeting deadlines, and struggling in areas of school and/or work. There are many reasons WHY you may be feeling distracted.
Here are some of the most common reasons women struggle with concentrating and feel easily distracted:
- Trying to do too many things at once
- Giving yourself too little or too much time to get a task completed
- Distractions (children, noises, social media, your smartphone, the TV, internal thoughts, etc.)
- Feelings of internal anxiety and depression
- Mentally being distracted or focused on something else (often worry and anxiety-based)
If you are struggling with becoming easily distracted and this is negatively impacting life as you would like it, here are some helpful tips you can try right now:
- Tackle one task at a time and do not move on to the next one until you finish the one you are working on.
- Reduce noise and distractions that are in your environment within your control (example: turn off the TV).
- Put your phone down and put it away. If you are constantly checking your phone or picking up your phone to scroll on social media, you will be easily distracted.
- If your mind wanders during a task to something else, recognize it and try refocusing on the task at hand.
- Keep notes of things you don’t want to forget as you think of them so they are not occupying space in your mind to focus on things.
- If you are a parent, plan your time accordingly so that you are completing important tasks that need your full attention during nap time, when another person in the home is able to help, and/or your children are in school.