The Student Room Group

Can't concentrate on studying-what to do???

So my heads been feeling foggy and I've been finding it next to impossible to concentrate. My thoughts are kind of scattered all over the place and I'm always forgetting stuff.

My body's been feeling heavy lately and I'm finding it hard to feel motivated to do anything or get out if bed.

Other than that when I try to study, my family is really loud. Since we live in a flat and it's a big family, I can hear everything.

Talking about hearing I don't know why but I always end up focusing on certain sounds. Like chewing, speaking, muttering, whispering, my parents' voices, sometimes my siblings' voices, footsteps, videos playing in backgrounds, the wind outside, shouting, door's opening and this fizzing high pitched whistling sound I hear in both my ears. It feels as if someone is scraping my insides and J get so agitated.


Anywaaaayyyy apart from that, since my area is on high alert for covid what the hell can I do since i can't go to the library for peace and quiet(mind you the nearest library for me is a 45 minute walk, don't mind it though since I need fresh air lol)

I've been really stressed because of this since I'm behind and I desperately am trying to catch up and revise but I just can't focus :/



I've spoken to my family about this but I they haven't gotten any better and even with the door closed I can hear everything :frown: my mum just tells me to deal with it and I'm just being lazy, and need to work harder.
(edited 3 years ago)
Oh and I'm going to go to my school Councillor when school starts again so please no "go to the gp" advice since it really doesn't help
:/ all the libraries near me are closed
Original post by Anonymous69420
So my heads been feeling foggy and I've been finding it next to impossible to concentrate. My thoughts are kind of scattered all over the place and I'm always forgetting stuff.

My body's been feeling heavy lately and I'm finding it hard to feel motivated to do anything or get out if bed.

Other than that when I try to study, my family is really loud. Since we live in a flat and it's a big family, I can hear everything.

Talking about hearing I don't know why but I always end up focusing on certain sounds. Like chewing, speaking, muttering, whispering, my parents' voices, sometimes my siblings' voices, footsteps, videos playing in backgrounds, the wind outside, shouting, door's opening and this fizzing high pitched whistling sound I hear in both my ears. It feels as if someone is scraping my insides and J get so agitated.


Anywaaaayyyy apart from that, since my area is on high alert for covid what the hell can I do since i can't go to the library for peace and quiet(mind you the nearest library for me is a 45 minute walk, don't mind it though since I need fresh air lol)

I've been really stressed because of this since I'm behind and I desperately am trying to catch up and revise but I just can't focus :/



I've spoken to my family about this but I they haven't gotten any better and even with the door closed I can hear everything :frown: my mum just tells me to deal with it and I'm just being lazy, and need to work harder.

It's good to hear you're planning to go to the school councillor when school starts back up. Do bear in mind that if there is some underlying problem, your GP is probably better equipped to refer you to an appropriate specialist, however your school can probably advise on this.

In terms of the immediate issue, the 'focusing on certain sounds' seems like (or similar to) a sensory processing issue. I have a similar issue with noise and what works for me is to wear foam earplugs (you can get them from Boots and other pharmacies) and then ear defenders over the top (check out hardware shops for these). It won't completely get rid of loud noises, but it does eliminate a lot of background noise. The high-pitched whistling could be more of an issue within your own head/ears, or it could be the sound of electrical appliances which most people just don't notice.

Different people find different ways to cope with sensory issues, so the earplugs + ear defenders combo might not work for you. I know other people combine earplugs with headphones playing ambient sound, or wear earphones under ear defenders, etc.
Original post by bluebeetle
It's good to hear you're planning to go to the school councillor when school starts back up. Do bear in mind that if there is some underlying problem, your GP is probably better equipped to refer you to an appropriate specialist, however your school can probably advise on this.

In terms of the immediate issue, the 'focusing on certain sounds' seems like (or similar to) a sensory processing issue. I have a similar issue with noise and what works for me is to wear foam earplugs (you can get them from Boots and other pharmacies) and then ear defenders over the top (check out hardware shops for these). It won't completely get rid of loud noises, but it does eliminate a lot of background noise. The high-pitched whistling could be more of an issue within your own head/ears, or it could be the sound of electrical appliances which most people just don't notice.

Different people find different ways to cope with sensory issues, so the earplugs + ear defenders combo might not work for you. I know other people combine earplugs with headphones playing ambient sound, or wear earphones under ear defenders, etc.

Thank you, that's really helpful^^ I'll get one of those to block out the loud sounds

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