How to Stop Being Absent Minded
1) The main reason for being absent minded is lack of focus and attention. If your mind is always busy with something else, you don’t pay attention to what you are doing at the moment.When you are not attentive you don’t remember well what you did. This is not forgetfulness, because if your mind is somewhere else, no mental note or impression is made. If you want to stop being absent minded you need to improve your focus and control of your mind.
2) Avoid multitasking. Do one thing at a time, instead of trying to carry out several tasks simultaneously. This will make it easier to focus on what you are doing, and therefore, do it better and more efficiently.
Trying to accomplish several tasks at the same time, do not allow you to focus well on each task, and therefore, you might make errors and mistakes. When you do too many things at the same time, none of them are done particularly well.
3) Be careful not to daydream while listening to a lecture, working, reading or studying. If you catch yourself daydreaming or thinking of other matters, immediately bring back your attention to what you are doing.
If you watch TV, and do other things at the same time, you do them absent mindedly, and therefore, inefficiently.
Watching too much TV weakens your willpower, your self-discipline, and your ability to control your thoughts.
5) Get enough sleep at night, since lack of sleep weakens your focus and attention and leads to being absent minded.
6) Avoid fretting and worrying, since they keep your mind agitated, leading to lack of attention and not being here and now. Overcoming this habit might not be so easy, but it is possible if you strive to focus on what you are doing, keep yourself busy, and try to think positively.
7) Make a list of the important tasks for each day and look at it often during the day, so you won’t forget what you need to do. Put this list in a place where you can see it often, and not with other papers on your desk, wallet or purse, where you might forget about it.
8) Boredom often leads to being inattentive. This happens in lectures, while listening to a boring conversation, or while doing a boring and monotonous work.
To avoid boredom, try to be more interested in the subject that is being discussed, ask questions in a lecture, join the conversation, or do your work in a different way. This would require your focus and your attention, making your more attentive and less absent-minded.
9) When doing work or carrying out a task that requires attention, switch off your phone or put it away, so as not to scatter your attention by texting, messaging, checking your email or conversing with friends.
10) Learn to focus on what you are doing, especially when doing a work that requires attention, doing something new, or while studying. Learning how to focus and strengthen your concentration is the best remedy against being absent minded.
