Focus Your Attention: How to Think Clearly

[Pupil]

When I'm working on a problem I'm having trouble with, I'll often get up and slowly pace across the room whilst kicking a ping pong ball around or throwing a ball up in the air and catching it. It feels like I can think more clearly when doing this. It's as if my doing this repetitive activity allows me to turn my focus off the rest of the external world and focus on this simple activity. It's like I can tune out the cars rumble by outside, the music, the refrigerator buzz, the television, the family members talking, the occasional itch, etc. by focusing my attention; and it allows me to put more of my attention to the problem I'm thinking about without all those other things bombarding me. Does anyone else do this? Maybe I have ADD? Maybe I've had too much coffee? What do you do when you think? How do you focus?

 

[junglebeast]

There's nothing wrong with you. What you describe is perfectly normal.

 

[Moonbear]

You sound like you're either a tactile or spatial learner. People with those learning styles often do their best studying while doing things like pacing, or standing at a whiteboard. Do some reading on the different learning styles and see if one seems to fit you better than the other. If so, you'll have a much easier time finding other ways to study that will work best for your learning.

 

[drizzle]

I've noticed that I'm totally focused when I sit on the stairs!
but what's worse about it, is that I easily fall asleep, so I have to avoid sitting there during exams

 

[Pinu7]

I am horrible at focusing on a single problem. I am fine trying a "hard" problem, but if it takes me more than oh let's say 3 1/2 seconds, my mind wanders off and I'm into a new subject.

I am surprised I am even able to finish this