/sci/ - Science & Math

I already thought about giving up being on the internet and everything. Maybe this whole internet thing is a huge addiction and drains my mental energy.

>Should I maybe start to meditate?

Was exactly what I was going to say. I know exactly how you're feeling (even about taking physics/math class). I turned to spirituality to have a different outlook on life, and found meditation to be extremely beneficial. I wouldn't say I have the same concentration as I did when I was a kid, but I also smoke copious amounts of weed. I hope this helps, buddy. Meditation has all the answers.

My friend said it the best, "we work out our bodies physically, our minds mentally, and our soul spiritually."

>>6546213
you don't really have to give up the internet. just don't spend the majority of your day browsing shit.

>>6546242
This.

I had the same problem, I don't know if meditation is placebo or not, but you have to cut shit that makes you feel like you have ADD or something.
This includes pop/catchy music, too much internet, chatting (both irl and internet), and the like. You know.
Also, you are perhaps not interested in the subject you study.

As the others said, cut out mindless distractions, but you might also have something medical going on. Personally, I experienced the same exact things you describe, and what helped me (and has helped many other people) was un-screwing my hormones. Namely I had low-normal levels of both thyroid and cortisol and had to replace these hormones orally. Most endocrinologists don't know shit about how to treat these subtle problems though; look up 'bioidentical hormone replacement' if you're interested.

>>6546213
I unsubscribed my ISP for some years there and just used my PC and the sensation was relieving.

It may work for you

I know this feel

>I already thought about giving up being on the internet

This is correct. You're overstimulated. There is way too much information in the modern world. You've tuned your brain to sit browsing meaningless shit on the internet, and since there's too much to humanly read (even on /sci/ alone at this moment there's more than you could read in a day) your brain got good at filtering things out.

Meditation doesn't need to be some hippy shit. It just means sitting, closing your eyes, and breathing slowly when you feel your concentration slipping.

I've also tried doing pushups / crunches / something when I feel my concentration slipping, before returning the PC and NOT opening a browser window. Getting straight back to work.

I tried quitting distracting websites cold turkey. I burnt out in a few days. You need to just pull back slowly. Browse for 15 minutes when you can't concentrate, then close it and walk away or meditate before getting back to work.

In the long term you need to readjust yourself to focusing on things. Read books (something I need to get back into the habit of doing myself), indulge a hobby like video games or something else.

I felt most able when I was reading books and playing video games in my spare time. Ironically I quit video games because everyone said they were Bad(TM). Old people don't understand what's new to them, video games aren't bad at all. Infact the right one can have you focusing on a single task for a long time and help. Obviously this doesn't count for bullshit micro-reward addictive games like WoW.

>>6546339

I was at my best in first year of university. I didn't use 4chan at all. I hadn't heard of reddit. I didn't browse any other websites with large volumes of information, just the news sites and catchup TV.

I played a video game in my spare time, and read books, more than I did as a teenager but still not that many.

Then I let that all slip, and now I'm in the same situation as you.

When I get exams out of the way I'm going to cut back on these websites hard. I'm going to start on the bookcase I haven't touched in almost 12 months. I'm going to get back into gaming, and also I played sport when I was a teenager so I'm going to try and get back into that.

One final thought is my mini-theory on why the internet is bad at all. The good activities I described are all discrete things, either on or off. You are either reading a book, or not. You're either playing a videogame, or it's off and you can't see it even when using the computer for something else. You're either outside playing football or not.

Browsing the internet is not discrete like this. You don't have to wait for it to "boot up" and then give it your undivided attention like a videogame. It sits in the background sapping your focus. It becomes instant gratification. "Oh I'll just check /sci/, I'll just check facebook, I'll just check reddit". There is no "Oh I'll just play this videogame for 20 seconds" so it doesn't sap your focus in the same way. It's more "I will complete these chapters of reading then play videogames", because playing videogames requires your full attention.

Stop doing bad instant gratification shit.

inb4 the Yanks chime in with their "pop a pill, I did and it helped me" shit.

You guys have a pill for everything.

don't start any shit you wont finish.

i feel like my unconsciousness will keep on working on whatever i throw at it, and it's seriously draining my mental energies. taek a 2 week vacation to reset, after that participate only in things that have clearcut endings.

>>6546346
>>6546339
Videogames do not deteriorate the attention span?

>when I look at the people in my class, see how they behave and talk I always get the feeling they aren't nearly as self aware as I am. Similar how an animal isn't as self aware as an average human being is.

As others have pointed out, meditation needn't be some hippy new age bullcrap. This guy, Jon Kabat-Zinn, has a good outlook on it for a westerner, I think. He's a medical professional and an expert on stress reduction.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gViiux9ANMk

>>6546366
>Videogames do not deteriorate the attention span?

The right one.

In the same way that our grandparents said "TV is ruining this generation, kids are nothing today", when in fact it depends what kind of tv you're watching. If you're tuning in for the news and documentaries and hour long dramas and focusing entire upon them, TV is fine. If you're channel hopping all day and watching reality tv garbage or leaving it on in the background then yes it's bad.

If you play a videogame intensely it can help focus and problem solving.

If on the other hand you play WoW and click mindless shit 12 hours a day, it's bad.

Meditation helps me so much. I used to be a lot like you and still am to some extent. I started meditating about 4-5 months ago and my depression is gone, anxiety greatly reduced, focus improved.

For the purposes you mentioned I'd recommend a form of concentration meditation. It will help you to regain your focus and remove the ADD-like symptoms. Another thing I should mention is that I browse a few meditation forums/online communities and many people have reported feeling more "child-like" in the sense that memory is greatly improved, they feel much happier overall and there is less of the brain fog that you talk about. To put it simply it helps you to live more in the present moment.

>>6546374
I don't have these meditation = hippy insecurities, I used to do shaolin kung fu for a couple of years actually and they made us meditate before and after every workout

thanks for the advice so far, guys, it has been more helpful and insightful than I thought it was going to be

Bumb for interest~

I am facing similar problems and I approve of this thread.

What also helps mental wellbeing/focus is a balanced diet as well as regular exercise. No need to overdo and go all fitness freak or vegan, just don't eat shit food every day and go for a jog every now and then.

How is nobody catching this?

>>6546347
Stimulants are proven to help you focus. I'm not complaining that I'm getting pharmaceutical grade amphetamines for cheap.

>>6546369

This isn't euphoric fedora bullshit.

This is the sign of an intelligent being. Some of us are superior. If you don't accept that, then you must be in a bubble of delusion, yourself.

>>6547696
How the fuck is this not euphoric fedora bullshit?

>superior intellectual being
>compare others to animals
>mah iq

Yes, some people are dumber than others. There's no need to be an ass about it.

>>6546366
I'm sure it depends on the game. Don't try tell me grinding in a JRPG doesn't require patience

Any suggestions for how to start meditation while avoiding all this pseudo-scientific new age bullshit? I've wanted to try it since I saw a recent bigthink video but there's way too much misinformation out there.

really recommend this video to any burnt out students and working professionals on here: http://youtu.be/ywp4vaFJASE

>>6547787
There are a million ways to do it. The video posted here earlier about mindfulness is not the worst way to go about it so you may want to read up on that. It's a western approach to mainly buddhist techniques.

However the absolutely simplest way to get started is just to get comfortable, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing, taking slow and deep breaths. That's basically the core concept in most forms of mediation. There are a ton variations to it such as adding some form of mantra, focusing on this or that, eyes closed or open etc etc. In the end I'd recommend just trying a bunch of stuff and doing whatever feels right for you.

I originally stumbled upon meditation as a way to induce lucid dreaming from a waking state and then went from using it to ease my insomnia, to doing it on a more regular basis simply because it seems to improve my overall wellbeing.

>>6547736
I figured comparing them to animals was a helpful analogy to get across my point, why are you so butthurt over this?

I do believe some people are more self aware and more self conscious than others and to me it feels like I'm am walking self reflection. I'm sorry if it sounds arrogant, but that's simply how it is.

I think I am naturally more in tune than myself than almost the entire polulation

>>6546208
> "I'm not getting the grades I want and I just know I'm special"

Yeah... Self aware

>"my brain numbers are so high, the internet told me so"

=)

Just study and do your homework bruh.

>>6547885
>with myself

>>6547886
what a knee jerk response, why even reply in the first place? if you were as self aware as me you'd admit to yourself the second you had this thought that you did this out of insecurity

don't try to teach me about IQ, I know what it is, what it means, what it stands for, how accorate it is and what it is good for

I don't make mistakes, what seems to you as mistake is an approximation on my side to keep it short

Focus is easy, you have 2 options:

1. Exercise
2. Drugs

Both accomplish the same thing: increased bloodflow to the brain, which is what gives you increased focus.

The question I have to ask you is: Do you lack focus, or do you lack motivation?

>>6547962

By drugs I meant stimulants like amphetamines and phenethylamines, of course.

>>6547962
>bro science

>>6547891
>I don't make mistakes

Fuck off you idiot

>>6547962
>which is what gives you increased focus.
never go full retard

>>6547968
>>6547975

Heh.

>>6547825
>I originally stumbled upon meditation as a way to induce lucid dreaming from a waking state
I'm interested, care to elaborate?

>>6546222
I came here to say this exactly, well except for the weed, you filthy degenerate.

Think of meditation or maybe buddhism as some kind of very deep introspection mixed with resting your mind
It also helped me personally, well maybe because I discovered it when I was very depressed and nihilistic.

Also what the hell I thought I was the only stressed student in the world meditating, feels good to not be alone

>tfw at home and nobody is as smart as I am in a 50mile radius

>>6548050
http://www.dreamviews.com/induction-methods-techniques/143366-wild-wake-initiated-lucid-dream.html

aderall

>tfw your more smarter then every other poster on this bored but their to unintelligent two real eyes it

>>6548179
u best be trollin'

OP here

I've decided to pick up meditation again, yesterday I meditated for the first time in a long time, I'm just wondering when's the best time to do it? I used to meditate before and after working out (kung fu), but now I meditate for a slightly different purpose. Should I meditate in the morning? Or before lunch? In the afternoon?

Also I think meditation can be something you can do whenever you're awake, while walking, while doing w/e.

And I'm starting to cut out the internet. Yesterday I just turned off my pc for the rest of the day and much of the brain sickness is already gone, I just lied on the floor and did nothing, looked at the sky and captured nothing.

I'm already feeling better. I'm looking forward to being able to look back and not miss this place. Just how I quit playing video games 3 years ago, or watching TV 12 years ago and so often I am glad I never got a smartphone, or facebook.

It's all a drain on mental energy. I believe we're in a time of excess of everything, I feel like mankind has been thrown off its path a little, nobody is in tune with themselves anymore. I am awaiting the second age of enlightenment.

>>6547891
Are you trolling or wtf? Listen to yourself man, nobody says shit like this.

>If you were as self aware as me
>I don't make mistakes
>don't try and teach me about this and that
>better than almost the entire population

Don't mistake this for butthurt, but saying things like only makes you sound like a pompous, arrogant douche. If you really want to clear up that fog in your head you could start with bringing yourself down from that fedora-shaped pedestal you've put yourself on and get your head out of the clouds. Being aware of yourself and your capabilities in comparison to others is fine, however your current attitude towards it will severely hold you back.

>>6548203
Happy to know you are already better OP.

But also don't you think its excessive to quit from some things, just moderate them.

>>6548206
I have no definite answers yet. I know I oscillate back and forth and that's probably how it's supposed to be.
I will probably continue to come back to 4chan and kick back, I cannot predict the future, all I know is that there's a conflict between enjoying life and studying. Both is fun, but I wouldn't want to have to choose either of the two.

>>6546208
>gets Ds in babby physics
>thinks hes smarter than everyone else
lel pleb, 180 IQ masterrace reporting in
>you will never know this feel

>>6546222
>soul
Lol

Meditation can be very helpful, but not because you have a "soul"

have u tried smokin weed?

>>6547962
>Both accomplish the same thing: increased bloodflow to the brain,

Habits and motivation, which are both what OP is struggling with, matter significantly more than a slightly increased bloodflow to the brain.

>>6548170
I'm not sure if "resting your mind" is the way to put it, especially for opie's problem. yes its calm, but especially when meditating for concentration, its not much like resting at all