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Day dreaming

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SammichEater
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17 Mar 2011, 6:02 pm

I used to daydream all the time in primary school. Now, I can't hardly daydream for more than 15 seconds without realizing it and getting back to what I should be doing. I just catch myself getting off task and stop. It's kind of annoying though, a lot of times I just want to sit down and think but I have a hard time letting myself, even when I do occasionally have the time to do that.



naturalplastic
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17 Mar 2011, 6:36 pm

Find a job in which the job IS the daydream. That is find a job that engages your creativetiy.

Or adapt to the job by learning to swim underwater-so to speak. Force yourself to complete a task before you reward yourself by daydreaming.

Have had some success with both.

My boring main job is to count merchandise in stores. I can flog myself to keep my productiviety up and turn it into a game.

Have a part time dejaying for parties and weddings, and do an unpaid weekly stint as host of a public access radio show. Both of which involve creativity.



Apple_in_my_Eye
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17 Mar 2011, 7:45 pm

I wonder if daydreaming/zoning-out is a way for the brain to take a rest (especially brains with odd wiring that might cause it to have to do more work than normal brains in the same situations). Sort of like a micro-sleep, or something.

In my college years, I tried very hard to push out of that state whenever it would happen (and I had work to do). But the result was that my brain would eventually start flatly refusing to do what I wanted it to do (like I'd stop being able to make sense of sentences of text; not conducive to studying).

So, maybe it's an adaptive and necessary function.



jmnixon95
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17 Mar 2011, 7:50 pm

Popped into my head instantly.

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daydreamer84
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17 Mar 2011, 11:56 pm

Well.............. as you can tell from my username I can relate. Actually your post is a pretty good description of the problems I've had my entire life. I take Strattera for ADHD (PI) and it helps but it increases my anxiety.



Nathalie
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18 Mar 2011, 2:53 am

Apple_in_my_Eye wrote:
I wonder if daydreaming/zoning-out is a way for the brain to take a rest (especially brains with odd wiring that might cause it to have to do more work than normal brains in the same situations). Sort of like a micro-sleep, or something.

In my college years, I tried very hard to push out of that state whenever it would happen (and I had work to do). But the result was that my brain would eventually start flatly refusing to do what I wanted it to do (like I'd stop being able to make sense of sentences of text; not conducive to studying).

So, maybe it's an adaptive and necessary function.


I also sometimes feel as if I really need it, especially when I'm tired. Sometimes my brain also stops being able to cope with the world, and add that to the fatigue at the end of the day: let's say it's best for others to stay far, far away from me at moment's like this ;)



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18 Mar 2011, 5:30 am

Apple_in_my_Eye wrote:
I wonder if daydreaming/zoning-out is a way for the brain to take a rest (especially brains with odd wiring that might cause it to have to do more work than normal brains in the same situations). Sort of like a micro-sleep, or something.

In my college years, I tried very hard to push out of that state whenever it would happen (and I had work to do). But the result was that my brain would eventually start flatly refusing to do what I wanted it to do (like I'd stop being able to make sense of sentences of text; not conducive to studying).

So, maybe it's an adaptive and necessary function.


It might be that aspie or add affected brains need more zoning out because our brains are overclocked.

I do find that when I practice what I call 'sensory hygiene' I don't seem to need to do it so much.


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Yensid
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18 Mar 2011, 5:53 am

Nathalie wrote:
I also sometimes feel as if I really need it, especially when I'm tired. Sometimes my brain also stops being able to cope with the world, and add that to the fatigue at the end of the day:


I find that the opposite is often true for me. Maybe I need to do more daydreaming and less obsessing. I sometimes need to force myself to do something mindless, because I need to stop thinking. I get really obsessed with ideas, and sometimes I just need to stop and take a break.

Quote:
let's say it's best for others to stay far, far away from me at moment's like this ;)


What I don't understand is why some people simply don't get the message.


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18 Mar 2011, 6:00 am

I think these posts do allude to that 'Autistic alone-ness' that only we have......and why we are labelled as 'far away;' because we are.


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Nathalie
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18 Mar 2011, 10:05 am

Yensid wrote:
Quote:
let's say it's best for others to stay far, far away from me at moment's like this ;)


What I don't understand is why some people simply don't get the message.


Yep, even when you're telling them litteraly: "Please leave me alone now for a moment!" they keep pushing and asking what's wrong. Duuh, I just need to be alone!! :roll: Some people just ain't social enough to understand, haha :lol:
Luckely we AS do understand each other better 8)



Marcus83
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18 Mar 2011, 3:55 pm

Nathalie wrote:
I also spend a lot of time daydreaming... sometimes I notice I'm talking to myself, having complicated conversations in my own world. Sometimes I'm afraid one day I'll mistake my world of daydreaming for the real one. I try to keep myself focused on social skills when I'm around others, to prevent slipping into my own world and start saying really strange things that don't make sense at all for others.

On the other hand, when I'm alone I really love to loose myself in daydreams, it's a perfect way to forget everything for a moment! Never tried meditating though, I don't think I can stop thinking somehow.



That sounds a lot like me. Sometimes my mind will just drift off and I can spend maybe 5-10 minutes absorbed in my own thoughts! This is especially the case in social situations whereby I'll drift off, snap out of it but then not know what my friends are talking about! They think I am bored or nervous but I literally just struggle to keep alert! Luckily, my friends are now aware of my AS and are very understanding.

But when I'm relaxing after work, I too like a good old think!!



stargazing
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18 Mar 2011, 10:25 pm

Overfocusing and having trouble "switching gears" are main AS traits and they do seem to be wonderfully conducive to easily "spacing out" and spending a lot of time daydreaming. I have always been this way, exactly as OP described. It was always the most difficult problem I faced throughout school, particularly elementary school. The slightest thing would always send my thoughts in a particular direction, one would lead to another, and I'd essentially lose sense of reality. The tendency to do this is still as strong as ever, but through practice and out of necessity I have become able to control it well.