Single Tasking

[Kubash16]

Does anyone have any tips for being more mindful/single tasking?

I’m real good at multitasking which sounds like a good thing but it’s not really. It’s a way to avoid falling into pure boredom and a deep depression. I need to work on being okay with being bored (from not doing five things at once) and being able to focus on just one task at a time. I need to learn how to slow down and absorb living instead of rushing to the next moment so that my mind doesn’t catch up to me.

 

[grit]

I am sorry you are in this situation. I am not sure I can help because you said you fell into depression if you stop being busy and a lot of people do this precisely for that. If you have a good therapist and on meds, I would recommend practising if you can while in therapy. can you sit and not do anything for few minutes? or few seconds just to acknowledge what the body wants? also I wonder if you could do a sec or a min mindfulness before you fall sleep at night...start with baby steps.

 

[Kubash16]

I’m not on any medication, but I do have a good T. I don’t know that I can try this during T because there is so much else we are working on there just wouldn’t be time. But I can try at night and slowly increase the time. Thank you so much for the suggestion!

 

[KimmyO]

It might be more of an avoidance tool or anxiety that keeps you multi tasking but not able to stay to one thing. Taking magnesium and ginseng can help you with that. They calm the mind body and spirit and get rid of sticky negative thoughts very well. They have helped me and many people! =)

 

[Kubash16]

It might be more of an avoidance tool or anxiety that keeps you multi tasking but not able to stay to one thing. Taking magnesium and ginseng can help you with that. They calm the mind body and spirit and get rid of sticky negative thoughts very well. They have helped me and many people! =)

I will try some, thanks! And yes it’s total avoidance but it’s such a thing for me that it’s literally just who I am at this point. Who knows maybe I have some adhd or something going on as well. But I bounce from task to task not able to just slow down and focus because half my brain is somewhere it shouldn’t be so I have to add more tasks to take up that part of my brain.

 

[blackemerald1]

so I have to add more tasks to take up that part of my brain.

^^This is sounding like classic anxiety to me.

absorb living instead of rushing to the next moment so that my mind doesn’t catch up to me

^^Try accepting yourself as you are right now and not wanting to change everything in one moment. It's a big thing to do!

Find something to do that takes all of your concentration to achieve but cannot be achieved in one moment.

 

[Kubash16]

^^This is sounding like classic anxiety to me.



^^Try accepting yourself as you are right now and not wanting to change everything in one moment. It's a big thing to do!

Find something to do that takes all of your concentration to achieve but cannot be achieved in one moment.

Any suggestions on what that one thing could be lol? I probably do have anxiety as well though T hasn’t said anything about it. And isn’t anxiety a part of PTSD in some way? Or are they just comorbid sometimes?

Anyway, the problem is I don’t like who I am right now so why would I want to just be with myself. I can be very impatient so yes I definitely want to change everything all at once. I don’t know how to accept that I can’t feasibly do that.

 

[MyWillow]

Yes, this is so me. I’m the consummate multi-tasker. I think it’s about avoidance and anxiety and perfectionism and lack of boundaries and stuff.

I’ve been backed into a corner as it were. My body said no more. I put my PhD on hold, dropped some voluntary commitments and finally have taken 5 weeks leave after my psydoc warned me I was heading for a breakdown and needed 3 months off.

Gardening and collecting wood for Winter is great. Dog training is my go to but that’s only a short time each day. Very much in the moment. As is TS yoga. I’ve struggled with the latter but it’s teaching me - slowly - just to notice without judgement when my mind drifts. I can now coordinate breath and a particular movement which is a huge step. In the beginning I wasn’t sure whether I was going to run, throw up or dissociate. I still do have those moments but I’m learning how to manage them.

I’m doing my best to put my phone on silent and turn off alerts.

Currently listening to an audio book and doing an e-puzzle. Can’t help myself lol but it’s a start.

 

[Kubash16]

Yes, this is so me. I’m the consummate multi-tasker. I think it’s about avoidance and anxiety and perfectionism and lack of boundaries and stuff.

I’ve been backed into a corner as it were. My body said no more. I put my PhD on hold, dropped some voluntary commitments and finally have taken 5 weeks leave after my psydoc warned me I was heading for a breakdown and needed 3 months off.

Gardening and collecting wood for Winter is great. Dog training is my go to but that’s only a short time each day. Very much in the moment. As is TS yoga. I’ve struggled with the latter but it’s teaching me - slowly - just to notice without judgement when my mind drifts. I’m doing my best to put my phone on silent and turn off alerts.

Currently listening to an audio book and doing an e-puzzle. Can’t help myself lol but it’s a start.

I definitely have a lack of boundaries and perfectionist tendencies.

I think I hit my breaking point last week. Going to work full time, going to school full time, running a house, dying stepparent, trying to move out, and trauma therapy. Oh and sort of an anniversary. Everything just kept accumulating and I hit an extremely low point.

How do I find places that do TS? I’ve found regular yoga places but not sure on trauma sensitive stuff and where to look.

 

[MyWillow]

@Kubash16 my T recommended somewhere to do TSY. I would definitely recommend it over regular yoga. Big focus on taking the judgement out. And now I practice it at home several times a week. I’ve only just started leave and it’s a little overwhelming to be honest. As I suspected.

Yep, I had so much going on and then add the therapy and rolling flashbacks on top of it. As my psydoc (main T) said to me... “ignore the warning signs. At. Your. Peril.”

 

[Kubash16]

Ha. Ya I have some massive blinders when it comes to warning signs of literally anything. I’m just going through life like a bull in a china shop lol.

 

[MyWillow]

Yeah in one week my equine T and psydoc gave me the same message. As my psydoc reminded me they hadn’t even spoken ?

Funny, I had numerous people ask me if I was ok last week. So I must have looked awful as I’m the cover up expert. Then when I told someone I was considering taking leave, tears just started. Body clearly said yes, about time.