Does anyone box things on their head?

[Whyohwhy99]

Does anyone box things in their head? I do it with most things but for an example if I have to travel by train. Say start from zone 3 to London Bridge-Liverpool street-Norwich.

So I'm on zone 3 train as its pulling into London Bridge dd says what next. And i say no idea I'm not off the train yet. Even though the route was planned. I can't put my head into the next stage until I step of the train.. so in my head its box 1 first train. Box 2 2nd train box 3 3rd train and i can't think about box 2 whilst I haven't completed box 1 etc.

Don't know if I'm making sense.i do it with most things. If anyone understands what I'm trying to explain. Do other people do it. Or is it just a weird me thing. ?

No I'm usually thinking 5 steps/boxes ahead. My DH thinks a bit like you, it's either what's going on right now or he struggles to think about it but he's AuDHD

That's weird. If you've planned the route of course you know what's next?

No generally I like to know what each step of the route is to try and avoid mistakes.

Sometimes it can be a struggle to think it through (due to tiredness or stress for example), but I try to force myself to focus. Although I do make mistakes on rare occasions though.

How would your boxes work if part of the journey went wrong?

If you were planning to catch the Northern line from London Bridge & change at Bank for Liverpool St, but the Northern was suspended, would you not find out until you reached London Bridge that you needed to change your plan and would it throw you?

No with a planned trip I know whats next and am thinking ahead before I stand up to get off the train. Could you jot down the journey for your dd as she seems to want to know what comes next and Id find that frustrating not knowing what comes next, even if all she technically has to do is follow you, itd be good for her growing independence to be able to look and plan ahead somewhat

Exactly. I’m always thinking about everything.

No. I understand the feeling of concentrating on the current stage before shifting your attention to the next bit, but if asked I wouldn’t say “no idea, I’m not off the train yet”.

I don’t know whether this is just a preference for you and you were just shutting your daughter down because you didn’t want to have to shift your attention or whether you are genuinely unable to project ahead.

No but sometimes when I don’t want to think about something (like an embarrassing memory) I imagine putting it in a box, locking it, and throwing it into shark infested waters (the sharks eat boxes of cringe memories). That’s what I thought of when you said boxes in your head, I don’t really have boxes like you’ve described.

It would be planned ahead of time. But each part has a step. I box each step. Even though the whole journey was preplanned when I put it into action I box each step. But i can't focus on step 2 until step 1 is completed.

No its not about closing her down. I just can't get the next thing into my head until the 1st step is completed my head gos blank

No its not about closing her down. I just can't get the next thing into my head until the 1st step is completed my head gos blank

That does make sense. I don't do that but I kind of bury it at the back of my head which i guess is simlar. But I did think most people box things. I thought maybe people do, but they don't say it out loud.

Box 1 is home to destination, box 2,3 and 4 are the alternative routes if the first goes wrong🤣. But they are all sitting in my brain ready to go with no notice

Write them down and then it doesn't matter if you can't think of it. Makes it useful for the kid in planning trips for herself as well as being far less stressful than worrying whether Mum knows what she's doing.

She had it screen shot she just didn't want to get her phone out. This was an example anyway. It was just the easiest way i could think of, to explain. I do it with alot of things. Dd can do directions and instructions much letter than me.

Are you saying that you literally cannot access that information until you step off the train?

I would have planned it via maps or national Rail. I would box each step thats written at the time of looking. Or day before or that morning. But when it comes to putting it into action I cant keep it in my head. Do I box each step in my head . If I try and jump ahead before finishing the first I get confused

But what I'm asking is if there was some kind of emergency and staff asked you what your onward plans are, are you saying that you literally could not recall that information whilst still on the train? But if they stopped the train and you got off, you would immediately be able to recall? Is that what you're saying?

Only if I’m in a very stressful busy situation might I say “I’m only able to think about X right now. Once that’s done I’ll have the capacity to think about Y”.

Day to day, no I don’t box things in the way you describe, and wouldn’t be unable to think about the later parts of a journey.

Kind of. I do have trouble thinking ahead like that until certain 'landmarks' of the process. When I step off the train (or access a file, or open the refrigerator) I usually do the next right thing, but trying to do it and explain it at the same time is a challenge!

If that happened i would panic.. i wouldn't be able to clearly answer it would take me a while to gather myself. I won't be able to give a fool proof answer thats not floored.

@WallaceinAnderland was meant to quote.

But if you then stepped off the train, would it all become clear to you?

No not in a situation where something has happened. If its a normal leave the train because its my stop yes within 20 seconds or so. Because I have closed box 1 and opened box 2.

I am the opposite, I have everything mapped out and ready, contingencies, I could reel off our entire itinerary at the drop of a hat!

However the ‘boxes’ thing does make me think of something I do, not to do with organisation but with bad memories or stuff I don’t want to deal with. I have a sort of visual process in my mind where that issue is placed into a cardboard packing type box and it goes into an attic. I can picture the attic in my head with the boxes piled up although they are unmarked. It’s just a process I go through when I want to stop dwelling on something that is making me feel bad or stressed. Into the attic it goes!

Not with day to day stuff or planning. I do it a bit with stuff I'm worried about though. I'll give myself a time to worry about it e.g. you can't worry about that until Wednesday and then I won't think of it again until Wednesday. It's quite a good system tbh.