Question: I am unable to concentrate in calls and online meetings. I get easily distracted, sometimes open and keep browsing social media sites during these calls. I am trynig meditation as well. While at times I am able to fully concentrate on the guided meditation, sometimes I don't even listen to waht is being said in it and my thoughts keep wandering. IT has been about 3 months since i started this guided meditation. Also, it takes at least 30 minutes for me to fall asleep after i hit the bed. I have so many thoughts one after the other, mostly imaginary situations - nothing related to what work I have tomorrow ,etc.

My distraction during calls have been happening for a few years now - after I moved from a job that required high attention to detail and overtime work to a very laid back job. This new job was so easy compared to the first one and required very less attention to detail that I started paying less and less attention in calls as there was less than 5% in these meetings that was relevant to me. Although I cannot be sure whether this can be a reason I lost my ability to concentrate, currently I am not able to concentrate on calls even if i want to and even if the subject is relevant to me - even if I am the only other person on the call.

Note: Online meetings are not new to me as I have been working from home and have online meetings for more than 7 years. It is not new because of the Covid situation

Thank you, doctor. I want to clarify that these thoughts are not negative and not on the same/similar topics. They are just random thoughts. I dont have depression or anxiety either. My current job is almost very stress-free and relaxed and so is my personal life. I had issues about until about 5 years back because of issues in my first marriage. Those got over when I got divorced. Now I have been married again for more than two years and I am living a happy and relatively stress-free life.

Let me provide some examples:
1. Like I mentioned, I may browse social networking sites while on calls, which takes away my attention.
2. I may look at other stuff on my laptop, such as books that I have downloaded or some other articles that are not related to work
3. However, even if i deliberately don't open sites or look at other stuff and say that I have to listen to this call, my mind wanders to something else. It nee dnot be negative thoughts or thoughts related to a spcific topic, like I said. It can be anything -thoughts that are good, not-so-good, or neutral.
4. While on bed waiting for sleep, I may not be thinking about stuff that makes me anxious but things like how some people behave, what is the next training/course I can take, will the new plants I planted grow well (i am not obsessed with this, it is my new hobby), etc. It may also be because how shouldI plan my days better.

And I am able to concentrate on what people tell me outside of work. In my personal conversations, I am able to pay attention EXCEPT for some simple things like people's names when I meet new people. In fact, my wife has told me that I remembr things that we discuss very well. My problem in personal situations (and official) are like remembering names because I don't pay attention when people say their names. I may remember where they are from, what is their favourite hobby, etc. Same in the case of movies that I watch. I don't remember the names of characters.


What kind of OCD can this be?

Thank you.

You said "But you also had another version of story. These random thoughts are disturbing your calls, meeting attention and focus. That is the trouble here. You yourself are confused."

Just to clarify:

I do have thoughts disturbing me during my calls. But these are not "disturbing" or "negative" thoughts. By disturbing, what I meant is that they take my focus away from the call when I need to concentrate. These thoughts can be anything like what should I cook this weekend, what new things can I learn online, has someone replied to my post on facebook or whatsapp, when should I do my meditation today, I need o water the plants, I need to contact some of my old friends whom I got connected with recently after a long time through a whatsapp group etc. They are not things that are fearful. Earlier I used to have such thoughts - mainly my anger towards my first wife who hurt me, her family, etc.

I used to think have negative thoughts earlier when my marriage had ended. I used to keep thinking about how she made up stories and took money from me, how could she do something like this, how their family were all about money money money, etc. But such thoughts don't come anymore. I have forgotten, forgiven all that.

The only thing missing in my life now is a child but I do not keep thinking about it either. I hope it happens when it happens although I am 41.