Concentrating With Narcolepsy Is Harder Than It Looks

I started an article last week, and it has taken me 3 sessions and one redo to complete! So I decided my next article would be about how hard it is to sit down and complete tasks on demand.

It has always been hard for me to sit in front of the computer for any length of time. It's almost as though my brain says, “Oh? You want to accomplish writing something today? NOPE! Think again!”

Like a computer running Windows 95

Not only do I try to write supportive articles here, but I am also in the middle of house hunting and being a newlywed of 1 month. So, needless to say, my stress level has been a little high, and my attention span has suffered.

When I am dealing with multiple situations, it's almost like my system starts to shut down slowly. I’m like a computer that is running Windows 95. I can get the job done but be patient with me!

Concentrating on one thing at a time

If I am concentrating on one thing, such as paying bills, making a grocery list, planning an event, etc., I cannot have my attention pulled to observe a cute meme or to see someone’s comment on Facebook.

It has gotten to the point where I have to refrain from responding to someone for them to realize I can’t do two things at once anymore. I feel so rude for doing that, and I always go back and apologize if it seemed like I was ignoring them and explain that I am a one-trick pony now.

If 2 people are speaking to me at once, I try to remind them that I do not have the capacity to hear them both. Some days are better than others, and there are days I do not have any issues with complexity. I feel when people see me “on top of my game,” they have a hard time understanding when I am struggling. Sometimes I cannot meet expectations, and other days I soar past them!

So many thoughts vying for my attention

House hunting has been a game-changer for my attention span. My narcolepsy has been almost uncontrollable since the start. When buying a home, you look at one post about it or look at a realtor's website and you don’t just see a house.

You think of how much taxes are, did it flood, does it need repairs, will it be easy maintenance when I am old, what is the neighborhood like, is it gas/electric, why is it being sold? All these thoughts in a matter of seconds.

Narcolepsy and information overload

For the average person, they do not even realize they are thinking of all those things at once. As a narcoleptic, I find myself getting overstimulated and in return, I start yawning and then comes the confusion with information overload.

This does not make it easy to research! I have slept more during this house hunting phase than at any other moment in my life. It has caught me by surprise, and it is pretty frustrating.

Learning to go with the flow

The key to lessening the effects of being overwhelmed is to just get up and walk away and hope you have done this before the need to nap happens. This makes simple writing and reading difficult, and it can be very discouraging.

I will not give up, though, and I will always strive to do my best and go with the flow. I may have narcolepsy but I won't let narcolepsy have me!

Does narcolepsy make it harder for you to concentrate? Share below!