Its an involuntary process that happens even when you are actively trying to pay attention.
Other times, your brain goes blank.It simply tunes out without tuning into anything else.
However, spacing out from ADHD is a milder case thats not necessarily linked totrauma.
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In people without ADHD, it can happen during periods ofsleep deprivation or stress.
When you have ADHD, though, it happens frequently, even when you are well-rested and relaxed.
In all cases, its completely involuntary.
You dont consciously decide to stop paying attention, and your brain switches off on its own.
Any task that requires your attention becomes more challenging if youre prone to spacing out often and without warning.
What Causes Spacing Out?
In a typical brain, the three networks interact but also maintain a respectful separation from each other.
VAN wont distract your attention from the book unless it detects a stimulus that might be relevant to you.
DMN wont kick into gear until its time to rest or internalize the information youve just read.
Specifically, the ADHD brain struggles to deactivate the DMN and switch exclusively to DAN or VAN.
That slippage could feel like the involuntary spacing out or zoning out that people with ADHD experience so often.
you could also try these short-term strategies below to prevent or cope with it.
you’re free to also practicenonverbal cueslike nodding in response to what theyre saying.
Fidgetingduring a task is a helpful coping strategy for those with ADHD who are completing tasks.
It can minimize spacing out or disassociating.
If you keep spacing out while reading, try reading out loud.
If thats not enough, try reading aloud in an accent aside from your own.
I sometimes read aloud in a horrible British or Australian accent, for example.
Take Notes
Taking notes goes hand in hand with making a task more active.
For me, takinghandwritten notesworks best.
I also write notes in the margins of books, even when I am just reading them for fun.
For work, I take notes during every meeting and call.
I take notes while interviewing sources, even when Im already recording the interview.
I take notes while researching articles (which might be the only area where extensive notetaking isnt unusual).
Instead, ask clarifying questions that probe for more details about what theyre telling you.
It might also trigger them to repeat some of the information you missed.
Putting the task or conversation on hold is better than restarting every few minutes.
Be Upfront About Your Spacing Out
Spacing out is part of having ADHD.
Try being proactive by explaining this tendency to friends, family, and coworkers.
Supportive friends, partners, and family members will be understanding of your ADHD traits, including spacing out.
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