Grrrr

When I'm at work, I can work (I work in a retial enviroment) and sometimes I lack the concentration and make some stupid mistakes, however these are just mistakes and I can continue with work and they don't hit that often.

But at home, it's a totally different story, when I have a bunch of work to do here on my computer, after awhile I tend to become overwhelmed and it leads to this state of mind were you can actually feel the confusion in your head and just can't focus on anything logical. When this hits it's impossible for me to do much work. I understand totally that I am also very tired today, but other days I haven't been and this is still a problem.

How do I fix this?

I'm always looking at how to structure home better. I'm not a woman but I'm looking at the flylady.com site and wondering if that's not the type of intense structure that might keep me from some of the dead ends at home that you describe.

I have been self employed for a long time but when I was working "out" I found it easier to cope with that imposed structure of the work place.
Cheers! Ian

Smarky said: "after awhile I tend to become overwhelmed and it leads to this state of mind were you can actually feel the confusion in your head and just can't focus on anything logical."

I said almost those words to my wife last night! And then I thought......(light bulb here).......I'm OVER focusing!! I want to get so much done....and not enough time; now that I'm back on Adderall and focused again!

I find it harder to concentrate on work at home... I've done about 3 or 4 peices of homework in my entire life. Luckily, in the UK, homework doesn't count towards your final grade; it's just there to reinforce what you learned during a lesson.
But I can work fine at school, because school is a boring, static working environment where anything even remotely distracting or interesting is eradicated. However, my friends have to be far, far away before I'll start getting on with anything.

An intreasting responses from you people.

I've never considered myself to be "hyperfocused" as I attached a label to that which would mean I would be able to focus on what I needed to do but maybe that i couldn't shut that off no matter what else I did, and I don't have that. But perhaps I am "hyperfocused" and the problem is that it just overwhelms me into a state were I can't do anything?

This is really ruining my life. I know what I need to do to get what I want and I really want to do it. But all that seems to happen is this. I'm generally happy but this really gets me down and frustrated. Just what the heck am I suposed to do? all I want is to be able to concentrate and focus on the projects I have to do.

In my room were I spend most of my time, I have a lot of junk etc and TV. But none of that really intreastes me, I just sit here at the computer, trying to do some work but often overwhelmed.

I'm tired when i'm at home more often as well, I won't be suprised if i'm wearing myself out with all the thoughts and frustrations.

i'm lost, I dunno how I should or can deal with it. I just want it to go away so I can do what I must. This is ruining my life and my future.

I'm sorry smarky, I was under the impression you were on a med like Adderall. But as I read your last post here and re-read your original comment you mention nothing about being on meds for ADD. When I said I was "over focusing" I meant from the standpoint of the MEDS (Adderall) helping me to focus. Or, I'm so focussed now that I'm back on the meds; I want to get all that has been put on the "to do" list years ago, done now!

I find it easier to work for others too. Very frustrating.

At home everything pulls at me. There is so much I want to be doing, and so much that I should be doing and it all wants immediate attention which really makes my head spin. This set of circumstances is one of the hallmarks of ADD. We have trouble prioretizing and everything screams for attention at once.

Now that I know why I am like this, it is easier to cope. I try different things, like writing the jobs on a white board and wiping them off as I complete them. Or asking family to remind me what the priority is for today; trying still to keep it my priority and not theirs.

It is a tough one though. My thoughts are with you on this.

smarky,

I have a feeling that in the retail business there is a lot of physical movement involved? I perform better at my workplace then at my home because I'm always in motion at work and I get paid to function...money can make all the difference.

I have a lot of the same issue's but am learning to work with them rather then fight them anymore. I bore easily and need constant stimulus to keep my mind in high function order. I've put my organization skills and multi tasking skills to work for me.

First thing I did was make sure there was no stimuli around my desk area. It is in a corner and void of anything that can/will catch my attention. I make a list every night of things I need to get accomplished during the next day.

Pay bills
Clean the kitchen
Living room
bathroom
laundry
baby's room
kodas room
lexis room
our room
etc.
my lists are detailed to rooms and activities that need done on the computer.

I then start up my computer and get myself started, when my attention starts to wain I'll go start a load of laundry making sure the timer is on. Then back to my computer until the timer goes off and it's time to switch loads. It helps to be able to cross things off your list and at the end of my list is alway's a reward!!!! Say, an hour to myself to work on a project that I love whether it being sewing or woodworking.

The most important thing to learn...is your limits, we all have them. Do not bite off or even attempt to bite off more then you can chew. I have lists of things that need done during the week so that if I happen to have a high function day I can get a little ahead of myself instead of falling behind.

I am just the same as you, I remember last semester I tried to do a fairly undifficult project and I sat at my computer for 12 hours straight trying to get started, and I ended with nothing done. However, I also work in retail and actually find that as relaxing and tension relieving as a hot bath. I have a few theories as to why this all is.

First of all, I let the work I was trying to do seem like more than it was. When I finally finished, I realized that I had made a bigger deal out of it was needed, and had originally saw it as a huge, difficult project. When I thought about it, all I did was get tense and whether I was trying to focus on something at the time or not, it just messed up my mind entirely. I don't know if this is like the rest of you, but I get very overwhelmed by simple everyday things that most people don't even notice. That tends to clog my thoughts though, and gives me permanent writers block. Or, maybe you are worried that you haven't got enough time and that throws you off too. These things always effect me and my marks are suffereing miserably because of it.

At work I find it much easier to be on top of things. My job keeps me moving so I am always physically on the go and not sitting still bored at a computer. During the Christmas season, I worked almost everday and had exmas a couple weeks into that and I found that all the bustle had turned my mind into a chaotic fog, but now that things have slowed down at work I actually find it relaxing. If I am not doing anyting, like sitting in a hot bath for instance, my mind wanders and I get frusterated by not being able to control the random useless thoughts, whereas at work I have to do things that make me think and leaves no time for as much useless wander. I feel after a day of work, my mind is clearer. Just out my own curiosity, is this normal for everyone else? I know non-ADDers think I'm absolutely nuts, but we're a different kind here. If you are like this, take some time go to run around, go to the gym, play a sport..something that doesn't take intentional concentration but will just focus your mind on it naturally because it's what your body is doing. And if you're worried about wasting time..would you really be working in that time anyway?

I'm not an expert on this by far though, I face these struggles too. I am undiagnosed and so not on drugs and I am already(after the first day with only 2 shorter than normal classes) feeling like I'm not going to make it. We are all in the same boat here.

At work I am on my feet all day, I'm also surrounded by a lot of big commerical bright lights and my room is fairly dark. Once I come home, I'm to tired to do much although I mostly feel fine until I arrive home.

As much as I don't really like working there (not what I want to do) I can get really unhappy and frustrated but after being there all that seems to fade.

If this is ADD that is hitting me and is the cause of it all, I have to question why people can say it's not a curse, simply because this is stopping me from getting what I want. But when I look at the list of people that have ADD and have done so much, I have to ask how the heck did they manage it?

In regrads to my enviroment in my room, i'm not really distracted by that much, but it is cluttered. Even though you are not putting your attention on anything else in the room, do you think that the clutter is having an effect?

It would have an effect on me, I don't know about you though. Right now my room is spotless, but still I'm distracted by a few things if they are not prefectly in their place(I'm a perfectionist) eventhough I never really think about it. When I am in a cluttered room I can't even begin to think about work..it makes me feel restless. I know it's hard, but try getting rid of as much clutter as you can, at least in the area you're trying to work. If you're anything like me, it will help!

Have you considered taking a mental break? It sounds like it takes everything you have to keep a plaesant attitude in a job you hate. Then you have to come home and work...Maybe, you need a little you time in between work and home. Try making your room a brighter enviroment...use lamps, you don't want to stimulate down time lol. I honestly don't know hon what works for me may not work for you. But, in my opinion you just need a little vacation between work and home whether it be a coffee break before going home to unwind or a nice brisk walk to shake off the hum drums of work. Plus keep in mind that home is were you safe from the world...it's perfectly natural to calm a little as you walk in the door.