You may be preoccupied because you see your obsession as part of who you are. Instead, you need to focus on yourself. Mentally separate yourself from your obsession by considering what other areas of your life contribute to who you are. Think about tasks, roles, or jobs that reward you as much as your obsession. Is your obsession based on a fantasy or idealized version of a person or activity? You need to start seeing how the obsession has served or fulfilled you before you can begin to fulfill that need in other ways. For example, if you're currently in a romantic relationship but obsess over a co-worker who flirts with you, you might need to refocus your attention on making your relationship fun again. Become aware of yourself and your surroundings without judgement. To do this, tune in to each one of your senses while you also pay attention to your physical or emotional state. For example, notice if your body is tense, you feel fatigued, or you're content with your life. Even being mindful for small periods of time can help you become more aware of yourself. Mindfulness can help you to become more connected with yourself and others because it builds empathy and emotional intelligence. It can even stop you from negatively dwelling on things you can't control. Instead, you'll be able to regulate your fear or anxiety when you're stressed. Think about something else to take your mind off of your obsessive thoughts. Don’t be hard on yourself if you find your mind wandering back to your obsession, simply acknowledge the thought and let is pass you by as you practice focusing on something else. To distract yourself, try reading a great book, chatting with a friend, or taking up a new volunteer position. You could also do something physical like taking a yoga class or cooking a complex meal. If you find that you're emotionally drained from constantly obsessing, you need to get in touch with your emotional needs. A good way to practice this is to write a letter to your obsession telling the obsession why it attracted you. Explain what part it's played in your life and the emotions your obsession makes you feel. Also, tell your obsession why it is has become worrisome or why it is causing you stress. Getting in touch with your emotional needs will help you to start meeting them, relying less on your obsession. You may be constantly obsessing. To stop these obsessive thoughts from interfering with your life, tell yourself that you'll only obsess at certain times of the day. Put it off for the moment and tell yourself you can obsess later. You might find that your mind relaxes enough to forget to obsess. For example, if you start to obsess over something when you're out with your friends, remind yourself to enjoy the moment and tell yourself you can always obsess when you get home.
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One-sentence summary -- Evaluate your needs, wants and goals. Practice mindfulness. Refocus your attention. Write a letter to your obsession. Put the obsessive thoughts on hold.

Q: Nobody wants to be kept waiting for too long. If you have time to send a text and you'd like to set up the date, you can be honest with yourself and send at that pace.If she’s given you her contact information, then there’s no point in letting it settle for too long; reach out to her later that day, or perhaps later that morning, to figure out your next plan.If you think you need a bit of time to prepare, or you don't have a spare moment to reach out properly, you can also slow the process down. While being too eager in creating the plan could be seen as overbearing, the opposing method will be far more detrimental to your budding relationship. It’s not easy for anyone to set up future plans, but it’s even tougher when the other person involved isn’t being totally responsive.  It's not helpful to spend too much time in the limbo between casual texting and setting the date up.Because you've already made a move toward a real, in-person date, don't waste too much time and energy being clever on text. Be simple and direct. That way, you can get some quality face-to-face time. There are situations when you want to leave some space. If the girl isn’t positive about her weekend plans, and she tells you that she needs to figure out her schedule, don’t be too pushy. People have busy lives and need to plan around busy schedules. Try not to think about too hard about the science of texting or Facebook messaging. Just because she hasn’t responded in two hours doesn’t mean she’s uninterested.She might even, like you, be a bit nervous about the date itself. Her anxiety may be keeping her from properly responding to the text, as she also doesn't know exactly what to say. If you have strict preconceptions on how your date will go, then you may end up being disappointed. She may not have time for dinner and a movie, so dinner should be more than enough for now. You should also be accommodating to her suggestions, as this proves that you’re more interested in spending time than the logistics of the plan itself. By giving you her contact information, she’s already agreed to have further contact. Therefore, don't be frustrated by the little troubles of planning the date itself. She’s interested in seeing you, so when you both work out the details, you’ll both be happy to be spending quality time together.
A: Send out feelers quickly. Don’t take too long to respond. Be flexible with the plan. Remember that she said yes.

Article: If you don’t have a girl’s phone number—and aren’t ready to ask for it yet—a good route to communicate with her is through online messaging through sites like Facebook or Gmail. Send a short, friendly message that says something like, “Hey Sarah, how are you holding up with this chemistry homework?”  Online chatting is a casual way of talking to someone and allows the girl a level of control over the conversation. If she’s not interested in the conversation, she can just close the chat session, or not respond to your message. This would be a good indication that she’s not interested in you. You don’t have to start every online conversation with her. If you see that you’re both online (e.g., both on Facebook), wait a few minutes and see if she initiates a conversation with you. If a girl is interested—either platonically or romantically—she’ll probably reach out and say hi. Don’t lose hope if she doesn’t start a conversation, though. She could be busy, or hoping you’ll reach out to her. Send a short message with a question; something like, “Hey, what did you think of the history lecture today?” Light flirting can be a fun, easy way to tell if a girl is into you. If she appreciates the attention, she may flirt back, or at least be excited about the compliment. For example, when you’re already chatting or texting with her, say something like, “BTW, I thought you looked great in school today. I love your new dress!” Take it as a good sign if she replies with, “Thanks, I’m so glad you noticed!” or “You didn’t look half bad yourself… .”  On the other hand, if she responds with a dry “Ok,” or “thanks,” she may not appreciate the flirting. Don’t be explicit when you flirt, and avoid anything too pushy or obvious.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Reach out through online messaging. See if she starts online chats. Notice how she responds if you lightly flirt with her.

Article: This is a very simple procedure involving 4 key ingredients.   In a small bowl, add 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon mentsuyu, 3/4 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon ketchup. Whisk the ingredients together. Pour over takoyaki. If you want to make the sauce ahead of time, you can store it in the refrigerator. This uses regular mayonnaise and some seasonings.   Put 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise in a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar. Whisk the ingredients together. Serve on top of takoyaki or refrigerate.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Prepare the takoyaki sauce. Make the Japanese spicy mayonnaise.