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A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind (2010) [pdf]

greatergood.berkeley.edu

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Re: A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind (2010) [pdf]

#21

Post by Arqu »

Apocryphon wrote: post #7

When I'm very sleep-deprived, I tend to be better able to focus on the present, and not worry about ambient anxiety-causing topics. My mind has less resources to wander as much as usual. Between that anecdotal experience, and previous stories about sleep deprivation as a treatment for depression, I wonder if there's something to be set about forcing your mind into a single-threaded mode, to avoid the usual distractin…

I think this is a blade with two edges. I use to fast once a year and when the body slows down its great for homing on on singular tasks and getting stuff done as everything else is just too much to spend any energy on. However solving complex problems or creative work is usually done in the morning when Im still fresh and able to go outside of the box. In the end it just boils down to what you're trying to get done.

Re: A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind (2010) [pdf]

#23

Post by ycombinete »

throwaway437998 wrote: post #17
ycombinete wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A shot in the dark here, but is it Retroactive Jealousy?

That is correct. To give insight as to why it seems a little too close to hopeless, I feel the only solutions physically possible are just twisting words to make it seem okay but the hard facts remain at the end of the day. I say this maybe preemptively to your response, but I say it respectfully (or rather with no intension to disrespect your response) and, for my own health, wish to be proven wrong. For me in the e…

I have this pretty bad. I'll tell you this much, I have had it with partners with pretty extreme sexual histories, as well as those who have had almost no sexual histories. The "hard facts" themselves are not really the issue, the issue is us; our brains. We will find the "hard facts" pretty much no matter what, and no matter who.

I've recently read this article on Reddit [0], and it has some excellent points/advice. Please read through it. If you do like what he has to say, then one way to follow this advice is to look into the concept of Mindfulness, specifically as put forward by Vipassana meditation [1].

[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/OCD/comments/3oyh06/beat_retroactiv...

[1] I specify Vipassana because the term mindfulness has become a world of hipster woo in recent times, and just looking into the term alone will probably take you nowhere.

Re: A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind (2010) [pdf]

#24

Post by ycombinete »

fjsolwmv wrote: post #20
ycombinete wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A shot in the dark here, but is it Retroactive Jealousy?

Heh, that's a recently invented term for an old phenomen. When was that coined? Fwiw, I think it's a form of bitter competitiveness. It is reduced by having more diverse sexual experience and by one's partner not dwelling on their past and showing they treat you better than they treated their ex.

Hmmm, I don't want to sound dismissive here, but from your comment I can only assume that you've never been through it.

I agree with your premise, that it probably grows out of an evolutionary need, but the treatment you mention is flat out wrong for most people who have the issue.

Re: A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind (2010) [pdf]

#26

Post by Cthulhu_ »

Arbalest wrote: post #8
Apocryphon wrote: post #7

When I'm very sleep-deprived, I tend to be better able to focus on the present, and not worry about ambient anxiety-causing topics. My mind has less resources to wander as much as usual. Between that anecdotal experience, and previous stories about sleep deprivation as a treatment for depression, I wonder if there's something to be set about forcing your mind into a single-threaded mode, to avoid the usual distractin…

Makes me wonder if there's a methodology of using full energy for creativity, and lower energy for times when more discipline would usually be required. Of course then there is the discipline needed to not fall into distraction traps then. I've experienced sleep deprived productivity before, but I have found it is hit and miss too.

I think this is actually a natural part of a regular joe's working day. It's said in software development that you can only spend about four days on focused work - the creative part you mentioned. The rest is then spent on lower energy tasks, like communications, code cleanup, etc.

Re: A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind (2010) [pdf]

#28

Post by dschuetz »

There's a plenty of occasions, causes and distractions to make your mind wander. To me personally the most prominent ones are when reading a book (which is also the most infuriating) and while riding some sort of public transport.

The latter one helps me to reduce head buzz which is generated by randomly reading HN posts or working on a demanding task.

Reading a book, where I actually need to concentrate on the book, some contents generate occasional mind branches. That means, I continue reading, but I think about something else triggered by what's in the book. Then I switch back to the book realizing "Wait, where was I? I have no idea why I'm reading this, and now I skipped a whole page."

When I make a long trip I also have a lot of time to think. So, my scope of thoughts grows and my mind wanders. Basically that's the mode which potentially might make me very happy or deeply unhappy. Because the scope expands from decisions made in the past to decisions to make in the future. And that's where it hurts most.

Can anyone relate?

Re: A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind (2010) [pdf]

#29

Post by acorkery »

dschuetz wrote: post #28

There's a plenty of occasions, causes and distractions to make your mind wander. To me personally the most prominent ones are when reading a book (which is also the most infuriating) and while riding some sort of public transport. The latter one helps me to reduce head buzz which is generated by randomly reading HN posts or working on a demanding task. Reading a book, where I actually need to concentrate on the book,…

I can relate with the reading issue. I've occasionally read 2 pages of a book while thinking of something else entirely, then realise I didn't absorb any of what I read. Not just tuning in and out - nothing..

I also can't skim text - need to almost pronounce all the phrases in my head, which is a pain when reading long books. I do read a lot, and have no literacy or comprehension issues - just seems like there's interference somewhere..

Re: A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind (2010) [pdf]

#30

Post by ycombinete »

larschdk wrote: post #25

I occurs to me that being unfulfilled with what you are currently doing is what leads to mind wandering and unhappiness, rather than mind wandering itself being the cause of unhappiness. Mind wandering is a signal that you aren't having fun.

This is not necessarily true. This is especially because tasks that we ultimately find fulfilling, are not often ones that we would define as "fun". Fulfilling, deep, concentration often requires hard work, and forceful concentration, on difficult things. The number of things that are fun, and deeply fulfilling are few and far between.
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