distract myself
/dɪˈstrækt maɪˈself/
Meaning
This phrase means to intentionally draw your own attention away from something unpleasant, stressful, or boring by focusing on a different activity. In entertainment, people often distract themselves with movies, video games, or books to cope with anxiety, waiting times, or a bad day.
Examples
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I watched three episodes of my favorite show to distract myself from the upcoming exam.
I watched three episodes of my favorite show to distract myself from the upcoming exam.
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When I'm feeling anxious, playing video games is a great way to distract myself.
When I'm feeling anxious, playing video games is a great way to distract myself.
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She tried to distract herself by scrolling through funny videos on her phone.
She tried to distract herself by scrolling through funny videos on her phone.
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I brought a book to the dentist's office to distract myself while waiting.
I brought a book to the dentist's office to distract myself while waiting.
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He listened to an upbeat playlist to distract himself from the pain in his legs during the marathon.
He listened to an upbeat playlist to distract himself from the pain in his legs during the marathon.
Common Mistakes
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✗ I watched a movie to distract me from my worries.
✓ I watched a movie to distract myself from my worries.
When the subject performing the action and the object receiving the action are the same, you must use the reflexive pronoun 'myself'.
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✗ I need to distract myself of the bad news.
✓ I need to distract myself from the bad news.
The preposition that follows 'distract' is 'from', not 'of' or 'about'.
Related Expressions
Practice
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I played a mobile game during the long flight to ___ from my fear of flying.
💡 To draw your attention away from something stressful.
Show answer
distract myself
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When I am waiting for test results, I usually clean the house to ___.
💡 To keep your mind busy so you don't worry.
Show answer
distract myself