Hyperfocus Query

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Just have a quick question that has puzzled me and maybe others who hyperfocus can help answer it. First the question:

During periods of hyperfocusing on a task, when your hyperfocus ends (for whatever reason) somewhat abruptly, do you feel sort of mentally disoriented?

For instance, I may go to the bookstore to read a bit and it seems like if I get focused on reading and then stop abruptly, as opposed to gradually, my mind feels disoriented. Not disorientation in the sense that I'm dizzy, confused or what not, just regarding my thinking. I tend to notice this with other tasks. It's like my mind is trying to continue on with the task even though I've moved on to a different one.

It's for this reason I try and never start projects later in the evening (past say 8 or 9pm) and don't like starting new projects at work after 3pm (as I often end up working over without realizing it).



If anyone does relate my next question is: What sort of things do you do to sort of mentally wind down in a relatively quick fashion? Thus far, it seems like I must either deal with the annoyance of disorientation (which of course makes starting new tasks rather difficult) or keep working until my mind winds down. The latter isn't so bad except that often it interferes with other things (sleep, end of work days, etc).

Thanks,

Defintiely. If I am in the zone and then someone starts to talk to me, I am lost. I don't know what to say or do. I just fumble. I am so disoriented. That happens daily. I get like the way you do in the book store, exactly.

If I am in the hyperfocus zone, it's hard to pull me away like right now. I have to go as it's my husbands birthday (and christmas eve) but have diffculty pulling myself away. What I am going to do after writing this is quickly walk to the bathroom to take a shower. I can't talk to anyone right now - anytime after the hyperfocus state. Just go from hyperfocus mode to something else more solitary as a transition.

When my children interrupt me during this zone, I am not as nice as I should be. I am still nice but it's a struggle. If my husband asks me a question, I am abrupt. I end up hearing, "well, I am sorry." Horrible. I need to work on that. Perhaps even finding a better time not to do things that causes me to hyperfocus (or things I know about) until teh time is right. The thing is I need to do the hyperfocus thing when I need a break from everything else.


If I am workign on a project, I will usually stay up all night. It's hard for me to stop, especially if I am doing great!

Yeah I feel mentally tired when I come out of it, like I have burned myself out.

Often I feel a bit confused and irritable. When I've been hyperfocussing, I'll usually "forget" to eat so when it passes I can find myself feeling ravenously hungry (and irritable because of that hunger/hating to waste time to cook).