I find a strong correspondence with physical health. Some health issues severely limited my prior ability to "get in the zone", let alone stay there. On days when the physical symptoms receded, I could do so.
Actually, this was one of the most frustrating aspects of the health issues.
If you have trouble concentrating, do not overlook or discount your physical health.
A separate comment. For me, personally, it can take an hour or two to really get into the zone. That can be a challenge. Once really there, distractions fade into the background and I can work a good 8, 10 hours, until outright exhaustion overcomes my concentration. I may take some breaks, sometimes just to walk around by myself. Actually, this can aid the overall process. I stop the conscious concentration and heavy (in my work, typically) visual input. A walk, maybe a cup of tea, etc., engages my other senses and different sensory processing. The work remains in my subconscious, and not infrequently, the change in attention allows me to make subconscious progress that I might not have achieved or so readily achieved through conscious attention.
In such a state, I don't just consciously, step by step, put "pieces" of information and steps of processes together. I tend to form an increasingly developed "Gestalt" of the material and my ideas, and new ideas and relationships reveal themselves as my overall attention (conscious and subconscious) continues to analyze and infer. It's one of the more enjoyable sensations of living.
Until I get deeply into that mode, interruptions and distractions can be quite disruptive. Once I do get there, sometimes -- blessedly -- they fade into irrelevance.
Comments
I find a strong correspondence with physical health. Some health issues severely limited my prior ability to "get in the zone", let alone stay there. On days when the physical symptoms receded, I could do so.
Actually, this was one of the most frustrating aspects of the health issues.
If you have trouble concentrating, do not overlook or discount your physical health.
A separate comment. For me, personally, it can take an hour or two to really get into the zone. That can be a challenge. Once really there, distractions fade into the background and I can work a good 8, 10 hours, until outright exhaustion overcomes my concentration. I may take some breaks, sometimes just to walk around by myself. Actually, this can aid the overall process. I stop the conscious concentration and heavy (in my work, typically) visual input. A walk, maybe a cup of tea, etc., engages my other senses and different sensory processing. The work remains in my subconscious, and not infrequently, the change in attention allows me to make subconscious progress that I might not have achieved or so readily achieved through conscious attention.
In such a state, I don't just consciously, step by step, put "pieces" of information and steps of processes together. I tend to form an increasingly developed "Gestalt" of the material and my ideas, and new ideas and relationships reveal themselves as my overall attention (conscious and subconscious) continues to analyze and infer. It's one of the more enjoyable sensations of living.
Until I get deeply into that mode, interruptions and distractions can be quite disruptive. Once I do get there, sometimes -- blessedly -- they fade into irrelevance.