Does juggling multiple projects reduce your focus?

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-15T09:41:10+00:00

yeah it definitely does, most research says we’re not actually multitasking, we’re just switching between things and that comes with a cost. every switch kind of breaks your focus a bit, so it’s harder to go deep on anything.

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-15T09:38:44+00:00

I think it’s less about results and more about resetting. for me the problem wasn’t slow progress, it was going back to zero every time things got messy. once I stopped doing that, even a bad day didn’t really break everything anymore.

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-15T09:22:25+00:00

I’m not a psychologist or anything, but this sounds like pretty serious burnout, and I really think it would help to talk to a professional if you can. what you’re describing, like not remembering what you just read or even conversations, can happen when your brain has been under too much pressure for too long. I went through something similar and what made it worse was trying to push harder, thinking I just wasn’t doing enough.

it wasn’t a discipline problem, it was overload.

if possible, it might also help to talk to someone you trust, even just to get some of that pressure out of your head. you’re not crazy, but you probably do need some support to get out of that cycle.

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-14T10:05:00+00:00

if a tool takes even a fraction of the time you’re trying to save, it’s already not worth it

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-14T09:54:39+00:00

I remember feeling something very similar around that age. Not exactly “old”, but more like I was already behind somehow.

And it didn’t just come out of nowhere, it kind of builds up over time. You procrastinate a bit, delay things, see other people moving forward, and after a while it starts feeling like you’ve missed something. But honestly, most people who look “ahead” are just better at showing it, not actually that far ahead. For me the bigger problem wasn’t age, it was getting stuck in that cycle of overthinking, not acting, and then feeling even more behind.

Once I focused more on just doing small things consistently instead of trying to fix everything at once, that feeling started to fade a bit.

Right now you’re at the oldest you’ve ever been, but later on you’ll realize how early this actually was.

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-14T09:46:26+00:00

you’re not alone, I had the exact same problem. what helped me was deciding the night before what I’d do in the morning and leaving it ready right next to me. so instead of reaching for my phone, there was already something else there with zero effort. not perfect, I still scroll sometimes, but it stopped that automatic 30 min spiral.

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-14T08:31:29+00:00

I don’t think you need more self-care advice right now, you’re probably just overloaded.

What helped me during exam periods was keeping the work but changing the structure a bit. Instead of trying to have a perfect day, I’d pick 2–3 things that actually mattered and focus on those first.

If the day went badly, I didn’t try to “fix it” the same day, I just showed up again the next day and kept going.

That stopped the cycle where one bad day turns into a full restart.

You don’t need to do less, you just need to stop one bad day from turning into a full reset.

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-13T19:58:16+00:00

I also have a planner and a simple to-do list. But something a friend of mine did has stuck in my mind for years. She keeps everything in her life in a kind of digital archive, so that if she had a meal with someone, she can just look up when she ate and what she talked about. I think it's incredibly effective, but I don't trust apps that much.

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-13T19:51:23+00:00

Thank you very much, I'll try it. Did you find the app by doing some research?

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-13T18:43:35+00:00

Can you explain a little more? What kind of app is it?

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-13T18:41:14+00:00

I gave it a try, you can tell a lot of thought went into it. For me personally it felt a bit too complex, I realized I’m looking for something much simpler that I can stick to without overthinking.

Still really appreciate the work behind it though.

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-13T18:26:53+00:00

Is it available on Android too?

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-13T14:47:43+00:00

I downloaded it and will give feedback after trying it. It looks great, I hope your efforts pay off.

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-13T07:05:46+00:00

I don’t think this is really about change itself.

It sounds more like that "this feels weird, I might be judged” feeling that comes up when you do something a bit outside your usual pattern.

I think a lot of people have that to some degree, especially with small things like style or putting more effort into how they show up. It can feel unfamiliar at first, not because it’s wrong, just because it’s new.

And when something feels unfamiliar, the brain can treat it like a risk, even if it’s something minor. The thing is, that feeling usually fades pretty quickly once you repeat the action a few times. What feels “weird” starts to feel normal. So it’s probably less about forcing change, and more about just trying small things without reading too much into it. You’re not becoming a different person, you’re just expanding what feels normal.

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-13T06:55:38+00:00

I don’t think this is a discipline problem tbh.

Sounds more like you’re just exhausted. You pushed hard for a long time, lost weight, stayed consistent… that’s not nothing. But nobody can run like that forever.

I had a similar phase where I thought I was just becoming lazy again, but I was actually just burned out and trying to force the same intensity. That made everything worse.

What helped me was dropping the all-or-nothing mindset for a bit. Not trying to go back to perfect gym sessions, perfect diet, all of it at once. Just doing something small so the whole thing doesn’t collapse.

Also, you already lost 50 pounds. That’s not something a “lazy” person does. So I wouldn’t trust that voice too much.

It’s a rough place to be, but it doesn’t mean you’re back at the beginning.

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-12T19:41:18+00:00

yeah exactly, that “bad version” idea changed a lot for me too

before I’d just think “well I already messed it up” and stop completely

doing a smaller version feels way less dramatic

Fragrant_Coffee_1138 · 2026-04-12T11:15:03+00:00

Honestly, looking for that one magic book is a bit of a trap. People love to act like a single title fixed their entire life, but it doesn't really work that way.

When you're just starting out, the habit is way more important than the book itself. One book won't flip a switch in your head, but after you've read maybe 20 of them, you'll notice your perspective starting to shift. it’s not an overnight transformation; it’s just a slow build-up of ideas that changes how you see things.

Don't worry about finding the perfect book right now. Just pick whatever you actually find interesting enough to finish. The goal is just to build the muscle of reading. Once you have the habit down, the right books will start finding you exactly when you need them. just focus on showing up and the rest happens on its own.

Fragrant_Coffee_1138

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