Losing track of time

[Scritzy]

Lately I seem to be getting overly engrossed in things (and not just this forum  ). Working on the quilt is taking a great deal of concentration. Sometimes I will look at my watch and realize I've been working for two or three hours, and I'm shocked. Where did the time go?

As a consequence, I have been getting dinner late, forgetting to take Freddie outside, etc.

I tried putting a timer in the craft room the other evening. I had homemade bean soup simmering gently on the stove, and I wanted to make sure I quit working in time to prepare the side dish. But even before the timer went off, the soup simmered down to nothing and scorched! I hadn't even thought about stirring it! And man, did the house smell funky for hours afterwards, even though I lit candles to override the scent. (I also had to run around frantically to find something else to fix for dinner.)

I generally believe getting engrossed in work to the point of losing track of time is a good thing. It means I'm doing something that I love. It also means that after so long of flitting from one thing to another and never getting anything done, I seem to be able to concentrate again. But when I'm losing myself to the point that I'm neglecting something else, I don't know what to think.

Anyone else do this? Any advice?

I have to run and take the dog out now. At least I'm remembering that much.

[goblue2539]

Can you set goals for your breaks instead of times?  Speaking from a cross-stitch standpoint, I find it helps if I make myself stop after this length of thread or this many rows.  That way I don't have to worry about watching a clock or listening for something, but I know that at a certain point I have something else I have to stop and do. 

It works here too, by the way.  "I'm only going to read 3 threads before I start on today's mailing list."

[Xanthia, Maker of fine Tin-foil hats since 2007]

GEEZZ mom, so that is where I inherited that from.  Ever forget eggs on the stove boiling because you were working on a cross stitch...it smells BAD when they start burning...REALLY BAD!!!

The funny thing is, a lot of time I have this strange internal clock where I get up and start walking toward the kitchen and get there before the timer goes off, but if I am working on something intricate, I completely forget.

My suggestion is to have your "daughter" some and visit and she can remind you to stir your beans while you teach her to quilt...

Just a thought...

SOCKS!!!

[IndianInlaw]

faussonl is right about small children...and big ones too!

Setting a timer is a good idea.

I remember when I used to paint...getting engrossed was like flying.

[Lisbeth]

Would a cuckoo clock or one that chimes on the hour or whatever setting you use work?

Sometimes watches have this feature too.

[VorFemme]

Several crafters with circulation issues have mentioned setting up their craft areas where they have to get up and move around every thirty minutes or so to get something.  Being TOO organized means that they sit in one place until they get cramped.

Another thing to do is set a battery operated timer or a windup timer to go off not less than every 45 minutes.

What also works is to drink LOTS of fluids - so that you, *ahem*, have to get up and take a break once in a while.   

[Gwywnnydd]

Lately I seem to be getting overly engrossed in things (and not just this forum  ). Working on the quilt is taking a great deal of concentration. Sometimes I will look at my watch and realize I've been working for two or three hours, and I'm shocked. Where did the time go?
Anyone else do this? Any advice?

Yep. It's called 'Hyper-focus'. I have had years of experience doing it, so I've done a decent job of training myself into obsessive clock-watching (I have no internal clock. I just don't sense time passing). But, if I get into a sewing project I'm enjoying, whoops, Oh look it's 2 AM and I have to go to work tomo-well, later this morning.

Set an alarm for yourself. One that's loud enough that you'll hear it, even if you're focusing on something else (I use my cell phone's alarm, cause I'll always hear the phone ring). Decide before you start how much time you're going to spend on this task, and then set the alarm accordingly.

[Chocolate Cake]

What you've described is a very common "symptom" of peri-menopause or menopause itself.  Something about hormone changes cause women to become forgetful.  I hate it.

[twinkletoes]

I also agree with drinking lots of water.  It's also better for your eyes if you can look away from the project every now and then. 

I also like the idea of setting mini-goals for yourself - stopping after you finish a row or when you finish scrapping a page.

[Scritzy]

You've all given good suggestions. (Especially you, Xanthia. I'll "sock" you if you don't behave, daughter dear!  )

I do indeed get up and stretch periodically, especially when I'm at the computer. My bad experience with a pinched nerve in my neck and muscle strain in my arm taught me that. Chip gave me a massage cushion for my office chair and even when I don't use the massage feature, the design of the cushion has done wonders for my posture.

I usually limit my time knitting by doing so as I watch a TV show or DVD. Show's over, knitting goes back in the box.

I move around quite a bit in my craft room. Sit to sew, stand to press, crank to die-cut fabric. So I'm not in one place all the time.

And I do drink (lots!), so I go on potty breaks, too.

I'll keep trying the timer thing or setting mini-goals, but if I get on a roll, I fear I will still go on with what I'm doing. Ah, there goes another hour.

[FolkRockFan]

You can borrow my Mom. She spends her entire day interrupting me for some random reason or another

Seriously though, I time myself with music. I put on a CD that I really enjoy hearing straight through and tell myself, "Okay, when X song comes on, I have to get up and do Y and Z."

[outcastspice]

Do you listen to music while you work? If you have a CD or playlist that's only 45 minutes or an hour long, the music turning off can be a reminder to you that it's time to check on the rest of the house.

[Sirius]

The only suggestion I have, which probably won't be helpful, is to cook things in a crock pot.  Even I haven't burned anything in my crock pot.  Also, if I have to remember to do anything in a certain period of time, I set one of the kitchen timers.  We have a kitchen timer in the kitchen and in our office.  The one in the office is for when I'm baking something and surfing the Web at the same time.

[Scritzy]

I've just now moved Chip's boombox into the craft room so I can listen as I work. However, I get just as caught up in the music, because I'm singing along …

I can't complain too much. For ages now, I've been completely unable to concentrate. I had so many years of working at jobs that require multitasking that it's been hard not to do two or three things at once. Now I can concentrate on something. I just don't want to burn the house down in the process.

Now I'm supposed to be concentrating on doing the sermon slides for Sunday … so I guess I should get off the forum.

(Well, I can have more than one window open at the same time … and I do have to browse my clipart service for backgrounds …  )

[Bijou]

Lately I seem to be getting overly engrossed in things (and not just this forum  ). Working on the quilt is taking a great deal of concentration. Sometimes I will look at my watch and realize I've been working for two or three hours, and I'm shocked. Where did the time go?

As a consequence, I have been getting dinner late, forgetting to take Freddie outside, etc.

I tried putting a timer in the craft room the other evening. I had homemade bean soup simmering gently on the stove, and I wanted to make sure I quit working in time to prepare the side dish. But even before the timer went off, the soup simmered down to nothing and scorched! I hadn't even thought about stirring it! And man, did the house smell funky for hours afterwards, even though I lit candles to override the scent. (I also had to run around frantically to find something else to fix for dinner.)

I generally believe getting engrossed in work to the point of losing track of time is a good thing. It means I'm doing something that I love. It also means that after so long of flitting from one thing to another and never getting anything done, I seem to be able to concentrate again. But when I'm losing myself to the point that I'm neglecting something else, I don't know what to think.

Anyone else do this? Any advice?

I have to run and take the dog out now. At least I'm remembering that much.

I have this great little digital timer with a clip and a magnet on the back.  It's small, flat and light, and takes one AAA battery.  I use it constantly.  I don't mind having magnets close to my body so I clip it to my shirt, my pocket, my sleeve or anywhere that is in my immediate vacinity.  I love it.  It has a beep that is just loud enough but doesn't jar you when it goes off.  It shuts off automatically after a minute or two.