Distractibility is a challenge with bipolar, but simple strategies can help when your mind starts to wander.
If video is not showing, click here
One thing we deal with a lot in the area of bipolar disorder is distractibility, which can be one of the symptoms of this condition.
That may happen in varying degrees, but if you’re like me, you deal with it from time to time, and that can get in the way of doing things in your daily routine.
Staying Focused at Work
For instance, when I’m at work, I know that it’s easy for me to bounce all over the place with all the things I have to do while, at the same time, finding it hard to complete any one of them.
So, now I try to, if anything, complete something. Even though a thought comes into my mind, I try to stay focused and finish what I’m working on, which certainly helps me a lot.
Also, I’ll keep a list of things I need to do and just check things off one by one to prioritize and ensure I get things done that I need to do — so things don’t fall through the cracks.
Staying Present in Conversations
Another area I sometimes have difficulty with is having conversations with folks or being in situations where I need to listen to someone. That’s when sometimes my mind will wander. I could be in a group, a religious service, or somewhere else where my mind wanders. And I have to work hard at staying focused.
What I do is look at the person who’s talking and make sure I’m focusing on what they’re saying and make sure that I’m able to comprehend and process what is going on.
Using Music and Meditation to Manage Distractibility
Listening to music is something I also use to focus, whether it be at work or home.
And then finally, one very helpful tool is guided meditation. There are a lot of guided meditation tools out there, whether it be through this great app called Insight Timer or YouTube, which has a whole bunch of guided meditations.
Guided meditation is good for people like myself who have difficulty sitting and meditating. Meditating is certainly a very valuable tool, but then again, I have a hard time sitting and just keeping my mind from bouncing all over the place, like a pinball machine.
So, when I use guided meditation, it helps me to maintain that focus and settle my mind, which is something I try to do to stay healthy.
Hopefully, these are some things you can do to help yourself in those situations, maybe when you need to focus. Certainly, if you have any comments or any things you might do to focus, please add them to the comments section below.
UPDATED: Originally posted December, 10, 2018