Life in my Head

I've been doing this workbook that the doc I saw at Mayo's Fibro Clinic suggested. I haven't gotten far yet but already I am liking it. There are several exercises it has me doing to help focus my attention outward as a means of distracting from the inward focuses of pain, worry and such.

I'm supposed to spend time looking at objects in a different way. Really looking at them instead of just glancing and moving on due to familiarity. For instance I don't really look at many objects anymore like my remote control. I know what it is and I know where all the buttons are without really paying any attention to it. This is how it is with most objects in my apartment, or in the store for that matter. I know an apple when I see one, I don't need to pay it much attention. But I'm supposed to start doing this. I'm supposed to start recognizing the little things that differentiate object. The remote for the TV is different from the remote for the DVD player. I'm to really look at and see the parts, the shape, the textures, and such that make it unique. 

I know I life mostly in my head. It's totally true. Hopefully these exercises will help me to begin changing some of that time to outward living. This could be a really positive thing.

I'm super curious now if this is something common with people like us living with chronic pain. Do you tend to spend most of your time in your head?