I break into websites - with permission, of course.

I’m part of a program where they give you websites to break into - so you can learn hacking skills. They tell me how many bugs I’ll find plus a few hints. After that, I’m on my own to try and find them.

Most days I’ll find one bug. On a really good day I might find 2, maybe more.

When I’m done for the day, there’s always a bug I haven’t found. It’s the nature of the work.

But I hate it. It eats away at me that there’s something I missed. I obsess over what it could be and I can’t just let it go.

It can get so bad that it’s all I can think about. I’m frustrated I can’t solve it and all my energy is spenty obsessing over it. So I start getting angry and impatient with my family. It’s not a good place for me to be.

What’s Going On With Me?

I have tunnel vision.

I recently learned about this from a podcast by Hidden Brain. Apparently, tunnel vision happens because of scarcity.

Our brain essentially gets freaked out because we don’t have something we really need. It hyperfocuses on the problem to try and fix it.

That’s what happens to me. I hyperfocus on fixing my hacking “problem” (in this case, my lack of knowledge) so my brain can try and figure it out.

It can happen to anyone when they’re dealing with scarcity of different sorts.

If you have a:

• Scarcity of time - you start hyperfocusing on always working and staying busy to get it all done
• Scarcity of companionship - you worry and obsess about finding friendship/companionship
• Scarcity of money - your mind is consumed by how far your paycheck will go, what you can buy, and what you might have to go without
• In my case, scarcity of answers - you can only focus on figuring out the unknown and start trying to control everything

Given the right circumstances, tunnel vision can pop up.

Unfortunately, it’s exhausting. It can ruin relationships and make you pretty miserable. Your automatic reaction - to hyperfocus on the problem - actually makes it worse too.

Ignore Your Instincts

Focusing exclusively on fixing the scarcity only makes it worse. Instead, you have to fight your instincts - you have to let it go and focus on something else. Easier said than done.

But somehow you have to make your brain forget about it.

Intense focus on your problem for short periods of time is definitely helpful. I recommend it.

But intense focus on a problem for long periods of time has diminishing returns. You unnecessarily use up mental energy. It becomes more of an obsession instead of problem-solving.

You’ll find yourself so exhausted from obsessing over it you make poor decisions - making your scarcity worse.

If I don’t forget about solving my hacking problem for a while, I just get stuck. It’s like reading a page over and over again but not absorbing anything you’ve read. Your brain has limits. It needs a break to free up some mental resources.

Find some way to take a break from it - at least for a little while - if you can. Literally anything that takes your mind off it - as long as it’s not harmful or illegal - will help.

• Pick up an old hobby
• Watch a movie
• Chat with a dear friend
• Take a hike

Just let it go for a while.

When I get so focused on solving a problem, I’ll watch TV, listen to music, or get outside and take a walk. I just need to do it long enough for my brain to let go of the problem and relax. I feel better and it helps solve my problem too.

Because my brain is still working on it - just in a different way. Now I can think about the problem more creatively. I’m enjoying myself and my brain is making new connections in the bakground. It’s a win-win.

The next day, or even a few hours later, I can come back to it. I have a fresh viewpoint and pick up on things I didn’t notice before. Often, I’ll find the bugs I missed…and then start a whole new problem that I’ll have to quit before I’ve figured it out. The cycle just continues!

But this process is not instinctive. When you’re stuck in tunnel vision, all you’ll want to do is obsess over the problem.

Do the unnatural thing and walk away from it - at least for a while.

Is It Really That Easy?

Of course not. Solving a hacking problem is nothing compared to solving poverty or loneliness.

But even if you’re dealing with poverty or loneliness, it can be helpful to get your mind off it, just for a little while. The trick is to snap your brain out of panic mode - just for a little bit - so it can relax and work creatively in the background.

Breaks give your mind to lose focus on the right now and think about the long term. You can see the big picture a little bit better and this helps you make choices that will reduce your scarcity - of money, people, time, whatever.

Even if it’s just a tiny little break, try it out. It might just help.

A Name For It

What most surprised me after listening to Hidden Brain’s podcast was that I hadn’t heard of tunnel vision sooner.

It’s a common problem for me, and for many others I assume, but I hadn’t really heard anyone else talk about it before. It’s definitely not part of the national conversation about poverty, but has a huge effect on it.

Tunnel vision can be devastating and have lasting effects. I was relieved to finally put a name to my experience. Because if I can name it, I can tame it. I can learn more about it and start dealing with it instead of panicking. Naming it gives me power over it.

If you’ve ever experienced something like this, definitely check out the podcast. Or just listen because it’s a great podcast and you might learn something new.

Now I have a more empathy for myself and for others dealing with tunnel vision. It’s a tough situation to be in and we all need a little help sometimes - even if it is from a stranger on the internet.