Posted , 2 users are following.
I'm on citalopram 20mg a day for about 3 and a half months or so. The last couple of nights I have slept about 10 hours. I am studying at the moment for exams which I really need to get but I am finding it hard to focus! My mind keeps wandering while I'm studying!
Does anyone find they sleep this much and focus is still poor?
Anyone have any tips for increasing concentration?
0 likes, 12 replies
beth3389 AnonymousWoman
Posted
Has your doctor referred you to any CBT classes? Although I thought they sounded awful, they helped me organise myself immensely.
Try making a list of the things you need to do/study for and number them like this:
A = absolutely has to be done
B = better off done today
C= could be done today
D= don't do/delegate.
I found this helped my focus and let me cut myself some slack.
AnonymousWoman beth3389
Posted
I was going to therapy through my university but term has ended so it finished. I am on a waiting list for another place now though. I find CBT really helpful too :D
Thanks for your advice, I will try out the prioritising as you suggest!
Anonymousgirl
mpeni AnonymousWoman
Posted
Like you, I have been on Cit 20mg for just over 3 months and know exactly how you feel. I had to study for an exam 4 weeks ago and it was so hard to stay focused and concentrate. I thought my study would be a great distraction but clearly not.
I don't get as much sleep as you but my focus was and concentration was poor.
For me, I think that the long periods of studying didn't help and made things worse No matter how much I studied and revised, none of it sunk in
What helped me was I did 15-30 min of an activity such as cooking or exercising then straight after that I did 30-45 min of study. Straight after that I did another 15-30min of cleaning or ironing listening to music then another 30-45 min of study. I repeated this process 3-4 times a day . Anyway, something to think about.
I'm Sure you will find a way to make this work for you.
Hang in there, and hope all goes well. Keep us updated.
Good luck
Kind Regards
Marcel
AnonymousWoman mpeni
Posted
Today I tried to take very short breaks when I was losing focus and then get straight back to the study. I was doing quite well until dinner was being made and my Mum came home from work and then that was the end of the study!
I will try and get up earlier tomorrow morning and start earlier so I can still take the evening off.
I hope you passed your exam/got the result you hoped for.
Sounds like you and I are in the same boat!!
Thanks for your adviceI think it is important to keep going back to the study. I guess I kind of had the same strategy as you but maybe I will try and make mine more structured too!
Thanks again,
anonymousgirl
mpeni AnonymousWoman
Posted
Your welcome
Yes it sounds like we are in the same boat.
I tried all sorts of things and the best solution I found for me was having short breaks with study in between. I thought 30-45 min was ample time, that way at least I was getting some study done and it actually sunk in.
You might find a different way or a better strategy to use, but I'm positive you'll be fine
Yes, I did pass my exam thanks for asking and was so relieved yay!!! At the time though I was really nervous and my anxiety was so bad I almost threw up. I couldn't wait to get it over and done with.
Anyway I hope it all goes well for you and good luck with the studying
I'll be rooting for you, keep up the good work.
Keep in touch,
Take care
Regards
Marcel
AnonymousWoman mpeni
Posted
Thanks for your encouragement. It's great to talk to someone who can relate! I hope to have an awesome day's study today and then I'm off to visit my sister for the weekend so I probably won't check in here 'till I am back. I hope you have a great weekend!
Stay positive!
anonymousgirl
AnonymousWoman
Posted
Thanks for your encouragement. It's great to talk to someone who can relate! I hope to have an awesome day's study today and then I'm off to visit my sister for the weekend so I probably won't check in here 'till I am back. I hope you have a great weekend!
Stay positive!
anonymousgirl
mpeni AnonymousWoman
Posted
Your welcome
It is good to have someone who I can also relate to and share experiences with.
It's great that you are being really positive too, I try every day. It goes a long way when you are feeling down or can't concentrate, so well done you
I hope your studies go well,,,,,I'm sure you'll be fine.
Keep up the good work, and you have a great w/end with your sister.
Take care
Regards
Marcel
AnonymousWoman mpeni
Posted
How are you getting on now?
I had a good enough weekend, my sister planned loads of activities for us. I tried to be perky for her sake but but to be honest it was kind of wasted on me as I was in a mood and just very tired!
We went to a wildlife park the first day and I found that walking around in the heat and then driving home in the heat was tiring. Then we drove to town and drove back home. And then back into town for a night out.
I only got 5 hours sleep Saturday night so I was so tired on Sunday that I was very irritable and moody. Again, on Sunday we were driving in the heat to get to a beach and then we had a dinner at the house with my sister's boyfriend, his sister and her boyfriend. I had only met my sis's boyfriend a couple of times and never met the other two before so I felt a little apprehensive about that before they came over. Then there was a mishap with the cooking and my sister was stressing out.
I was disappointed as I wanted to be happy for my sister but I guess that's not how it works! I guess I did enjoy the night out and spending time with my sister but I missed home and the heat and then the tiredness made me irritable! We packed in a lot in the 2 days!
Since then I have been doing my best to stick at my studies but I have been quite distracted. Monday I got my exam results (really happy wiht them and it's really encouraging!! :D ) so I was nervous waiting on the results for a couple of hours so didn't study then, then yesterday I got good work done but today I got distracted by the good weather! :P
I hope you have been well??
anonymousgirl x
mpeni AnonymousWoman
Posted
Im ok thanks for asking. Sun, Mon my anxiety was all over the place and I felt really low. Its really hard coming out of that dark place youre in once the anxiety creeps up and hits you Tues I slowly started to come right and Im feeling much better than I was. I need to keep telling myself that not every day is going to be a good day, everybody has bad days.
Anyway, congratulations on your exam results, Im glad youre happy. I know its really hard to stay focused and concentrate, so well done you for all your hard work and studing. Every little bit counts.
Wow, it sounds like you packed in a lot for a couple of days......
I bet your sister really appreciated you spending the w/end with her regardless if you were moody or irritable. I know things can be quite difficult when you are not so happy and tired but I think its a huge step forward just getting out and about and keeping busy. I take my hat off to you, because not everyone can do what you did,,,,,,, It took me ages to do what you did on the W/end.
You made an effort and had the motivation to at least try and thats
fantastic in my books
All I wanted to do was just curl up in my bed and die
I hope you are feeling better and all is good now?
I hope you got some rest after and eventful w/end. Hang in there with the studying, you are doing great.
Take care and talk soon,
Regards
Marcel
AnonymousWoman mpeni
Posted
That sounds like you had an awful time but I am glad you are feeling better. Yes, I agree, we need to be patient even though it is frustrating when little regressions happen. I guess the important thing is to remember that that is all that it is and to develop the skills and tools to be able to pull yourself out of it anytime it does happen . I am going to private mail you some very useful links for anxiety which I hope you will find helpful.
Thanks for all the encouragement! It's always nice to have support. I slept pretty badly last night, I think because of the heat. I kept waking up. I think tomorrow night I will have to open the window or use a sheet instead of a duvet as I have been too hot the last few nights! That said, at least it's nice to have the sunshine and lovely weather! I am hoping for a better day's study today than yesterday. I am going to try and take your tip of taking very regular breaks after 30-40 minutes. Yesterday I kept going off, moving around and getting distracted. I think that the regular breaks idea might be a good way to break things up. I just need to be disciplined enough to come back to study after the break!
Anyways, enough of my babbling on and on! Time to study!
I hope you have a good day
Chat soon,
anonymousgirl
mpeni AnonymousWoman
Posted
I hope all is good.
Thanks for your reply, and thank you for sending me anxiety info I really appreciate it.
Oh no, sorry to hear you slept badly, that makes two of us Agree, the weather has been lovely during the day, and at night its been too hot to sleep. Im using a sheet at the moment and sometimes have a fan on to keep cool.
I hope the regular breaks tip works for you, you can only try. BTW I set my iPhone alarm to the most annoying sound every 30/40min and put it in a place that I have to get it and turn it off. At first it was hard to go back o study, but after a while it became a routine.I sure you'll make it work, youre doing great,,,,keep it up
Thanks, I hope you have a good day too, good luck with the study
Take care and talk soon
Marcel
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