Dissociating, or zoning out, can happen for a number of reasons, including distraction, stress, or mental health conditions like ADHD, depression, or OCD.
Do you ever have those moments when your brain temporarily “shuts off?” Maybe you’re struggling to focus during a less-than-exciting lecture in class or a meeting at work and start to tune out of the world around you. “Zoning out,” also known as “spacing out” or dissociation, is something many people do for various reasons. While it’s a pretty normal experience, if you’re constantly dissociating out to a point where it’s affecting how you function each day, it could be a sign of an underlying mental health condition.
In this article, we’ll discuss why you zone out, what mental health conditions are associated with frequent dissociation, and how to seek help.
What is zoning out?
So, what exactly does it mean to “zone out?” Feeling zoned out is seen as a mild form of dissociation. Dissociation is a disconnection between your thoughts, feelings, memories, actions, or sense of self. As mentioned, it is a normal process that many people experience. Some examples of mild dissociation include “getting lost” in a book or TV show, daydreaming, or highway hypnosis (losing awareness of surroundings while driving).
“It’s very normal to space out multiple times a day,” says Tracie Ibrahim, LMFT, CST, NOCD’s Chief Compliance Officer. “Maybe you space out and gloss over when people are talking to you sometimes, but it doesn’t always necessarily have to do anything with a mental health disorder. Everybody spaces out.”
It’s very normal to space out multiple times a day. Maybe you space out and gloss over when people are talking to you sometimes, but it doesn’t always necessarily have to do anything with a mental health disorder. Everybody spaces out.
Tracie Ibrahim, LMFT, CST
Why do I keep zoning out?
There are several reasons why your brain goes on autopilot, including:
Distraction
If you’re not engaging with a certain task or situation in front of you, such as watching TV or driving, you can space out because you’re not fully present. According to a 2013 study, this occurs because of your brain’s default mode network (DMN), which is a system of connected regions of the brain that is active during rest and internal thinking.
Simply put, when you’re distracted, your brain is in “default mode,” allowing your mind to wander away from the task at hand.
Stress
Your brain may temporarily shut down to cope with or disconnect from an overwhelm of stress or traumatic events. When stressed, your body releases a stress hormone known as cortisol. A 2022 study found that high levels of cortisol caused by extreme stress are associated with high dissociation scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) among people with no history of having a mental health disorder. DES is a self-reported measure of dissociative experiences ranging from 0 to 100. Scores of 30 or higher indicate high dissociation levels.
Fatigue
Feeling extremely tired or fatigued could also cause you to zone out. If you’re sleep-deprived or overworked, your brain may struggle to keep you alert, leading to an experience known as “brain fog.” Brain fog isn’t necessarily a medical condition but a group of symptoms (e.g., confusion, fatigue, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, etc.) that affect your thinking, memory, and concentration.
Can frequent zoning out be a sign of a mental health condition?
If dissociating does not affect your daily responsibilities and relationships, it’s okay to let your mind wander sometimes. However, we don’t want to completely dismiss the issues that can arise if you constantly zone out to the point that it impacts your daily life.
“When spacing out causes functional impairment, meaning that you’re not performing at work, school, or just unable to stay present in your life enough, then you might be doing it too much,” says Ibrahim.
Here are some mental health disorders associated with frequent dissociation:
ADHD
Spacing out is one of the most common symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a mental health condition that causes inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.
According to a 2018 research article, the way people with ADHD respond to stress and developmental problems (i.e., difficulty paying attention in class, talking excessively, inability to read social cues, etc.) they face could lead to dissociation. A 2022 research review also found that there’s an overlap between dissociation and ADHD symptoms, including impaired memory and concentration issues.
Anxiety disorders
Zoning out is a common symptom of several anxiety disorders, which are mental health disorders that can cause persistent fear or anxiety that impairs daily functioning.
A 2021 study reported that people with an anxiety disorder might use dissociation as a coping mechanism when their anxiety levels are too high, and they feel incapable of managing their own emotions and physical reactions. For example, high levels of anxiety may trigger depersonalization, in which someone may feel emotionally numb and detached from the world around them.
Anxiety disorders that can often cause dissociation include:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Panic disorder
- Social anxiety disorder
- Specific phobias
- Separation anxiety disorder
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Depression
Depression, also known as major depressive disorder (MDD), is a mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and a loss of interest in the things you once found enjoyable. “There’s a type of zoning out that happens with depression where you lose time,” explains Ibrahim. “Everything slows down, and you’re just checked out. Hours and hours go by, and you don’t even realize time has passed.”
In a 2020 study, researchers found that people with severe depression were more likely to experience symptoms of “spacing out” or dissociation. They also discovered that this same group of individuals with severe depression and dissociation also experienced betrayal trauma in their childhood and adulthood. Betrayal trauma is the emotional impact a person experiences after they feel their trust has been violated. A 2022 study found that high betrayal trauma (HBT) is associated with dissociation.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder characterized by a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, feelings, urges, images, and/or sensations that cause intense fear and anxiety. Compulsions are the mental or physical actions performed to temporarily relieve distress from obsessions and/or to stop something bad from occurring.
Rumination is a common mental compulsion that may cause you to zone out. Rumination occurs when you have recurring and constant thoughts about perceived problems. When you internalize your focus to your thoughts, you can take yourself out of the present moment, leading to the experience of “spacing out.”
“When you have OCD, you get triggered by some sort of fear, and a lot of times, you then want to figure it out or solve it,” says Ibrahim. “You’re trying to figure out why it’s happening, if it’s true or untrue, and if there’s a special thing you can do to prevent or cause it. You get stuck, and it won’t stop until you pull yourself out.”
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How to stop zoning out
If you feel like you’re spacing out too often, here are some tips to prevent or overcome dissociation:
- Practice active listening. If you find yourself tuning out of conversations, practice active listening. Active listening involves techniques like reflecting, asking for clarification, providing feedback, and using nonverbal cues (eye contact, nodding, etc.) when interacting with others.
- Get enough sleep. If you’re sleep-deprived, try improving your sleep hygiene. This can involve avoiding electronics and food before bedtime, implementing a regular sleep schedule, and creating the ideal sleep environment with a dark, quiet, and cool bedroom.
- Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness involves being fully present and aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. Yoga, meditation, and tai chi are a few mindfulness practices you can do to focus more on the present moment, but you can also be intentional with other activities, such as cooking, walking, or reading. Practicing mindfulness can also be beneficial for managing stress if that’s the cause of your dissociation.
- Seek therapy. If you tried a few methods and you’re still zoning out frequently, please consider working with a therapist. They can help you to identify the underlying causes of frequent dissociation and recommend the best treatment.
Treatments for mental health conditions associated with zoning out
If you believe there’s an underlying mental health disorder causing frequent dissociation, there’s help available. A licensed therapist or doctor can review your symptoms and provide an accurate diagnosis to get you started on the right treatment.
Here’s a look at what treatments may help address recurring episodes of zoning out:
Treating ADHD, anxiety disorders, and depression
Below are treatments for mental health conditions tied to frequent dissociation:
- ADHD. The first-line treatment for ADHD symptoms is medication, such as stimulants. Supplemental treatments may include behavioral therapies like social skills training (SST) and a talk therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). SST helps people improve their social skills, while CBT helps address and change negative thoughts and behaviors.
- Anxiety disorders. Symptoms of anxiety disorders may be treated with a combination of medication and therapy, such as CBT or exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP).
- Depression. Like anxiety disorders, the treatment plan for managing depression may include a mixture of medications like antidepressants and therapy.
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy is the first-line treatment for addressing OCD. ERP is an evidence-based treatment that breaks the cycle of obsessions and compulsions by helping you address your fears head-on. ERP is highly effective, with 80% of people with OCD who do this therapy seeing major improvement in their symptoms.
ERP comprises two components: exposures and response prevention techniques. You’ll work with a therapist specializing in ERP who will gradually expose you to your triggers and teach you strategies to help you sit with the discomfort while refraining from doing compulsive behaviors, such as rumination.
For example, instead of responding to a trigger with ruminating thoughts, your therapist may have you do exercises like writing uncertainty statements that reinforce accepting uncertainty rather than seeking answers. Some examples of possible statements include “I can’t solve this problem right now, and I don’t need to” or “I may never know the answer to this, and that’s okay.”
Mindfulness for OCD
Aside from ERP, Ibrahim may have someone dealing with rumination practice mindfulness so that they become aware of their triggers. “[Mindfulness] is about doing something that takes that focus and puts it somewhere else,” she explains. “Maybe a certain place, like your parent’s house, triggers you. If you know you’re going to your parent’s house, you want to be extra aware of that [trigger] before you walk in and try not to fall into rumination.”
Find the right OCD therapist for you
All our therapists are licensed and trained in exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), the gold standard treatment for OCD.
Bottom line
Zoning out is a mild form of dissociation that occurs to everyone—regardless of whether or not you have an underlying mental health disorder. A few times throughout the day, your brain may temporarily “shut off,” and that’s completely normal. Spacing out becomes a concern if it’s affecting your day-to-day life. If that’s the case, please consider connecting with a licensed mental health professional. They’ll be able to help you identify why you’re constantly dissociating and suggest treatment options.
Key takeaways:
- Zoning out or dissociation is a completely normal process that occurs due to distraction, stress, or fatigue.
- Dissociation becomes a mental health concern if it disrupts daily functioning, as it could be a sign of mental health disorders like anxiety disorders, ADHD, depression, or OCD.
- A mixture of medications and therapies can help people with an anxiety disorder, depression, or ADHD manage their symptoms, while exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy and mindfulness can address rumination for people with OCD.
