I like fairly steady streams of new input so that I have new things to think about, write about, and talk about. Because of this I read books, listen to talk radio, surf news, read blogs, and check forums all on a daily basis. I am much more likely to run out of things to process than I am to have too much. In fact I didn’t even really recognize what “too much input” felt like until I identified it last night.
I still haven’t processed all the things that happened at LTUE. There were business contacts made that I need to think through and communicate with. I’ve got assignments I need to do in order to make the production of the book a smoother process. I’ve got regular accounting and book keeping. I’m going to begin helping a friend with business accounting regularly starting tomorrow. On my kitchen counter are some stories written by a potential collaborative partner (collaborative with Howard, not me) that I need to read. I also have “research” reading to do for the story I’m working on, novels can be research right? I also had a breakthrough about where the story needs to go next and I want to write it. Yesterday books from Ryk Spoor arrrived in the mail. And my friend J brought over a parenting book that she thinks might give me some insights into concerns I’ve been having with Gleek. In fact, I have been feeling a need to refocus on my kids emotional needs more because several small behavioral issues have cropped up. And I have birthdays to plan for, since the celebration is only 3 days away. Oh and I need to eat and sleep.
I want to give each and every one of those things my full attention RIGHT NOW. They all interest me or at least facets of me. I’m excited for all of them. Last night all of this left me almost paralized and incapable of prioritizing. I didn’t want to pick what was most important, I wanted it all. I decided to take a hot bath and read in the tub. (Yup, I even multitask my relaxation.) But once I got into the tub I realized that the last thing I needed was more input. So I didn’t read, I just let my mind wander where it would and then I went to bed.
This morning I curtailed my usual input streams. I didn’t listen to talk radio in the car. I skipped surfing the news. I did read some comics because they’re unlikely to spark deep threads of thought. I didn’t read during breakfast. I don’t need to feed myself any more information until I’ve processed what is already floating around in there. After a day or so when my brain is quiet again I’ll give it new input.
I used to have a friend with a somewhat volatile 8-month old. If you took this child somewhere with too many people, too many bright lights, too much.. well, just.. too much, she would flip out. They generally just avoided such places until she was older and, ostensibly, be better able to cope, but of course that wasn’t always possible. Say… her sister’s wedding or the holidays with the extended family.
My friend agonized over teaching her child how to deal.. but she learned it on her own. A few days before Christmas, Pieu was stressing, and there was no place quiet to take her to help her shut down for a minute. Rather than flipping out, though, she grabbed her baby blanket and covered her head, whereupon she promptly crashed out. Thenceforth, her mom made sure there was always, without fail, a blanket available and a soft, cool spot to lay down; whenever Pieu had had enough, she just shut down. Now that she’s older, of course, her coping mechanisms are more evolved.. but sometimes, we all need to figuratively shut off the noise and shut down.
Sounds like you needed it. The trick is to recognize that before you overload, which you clearly did. Even busy, active brains like yours sometimes just.. well, they need a break.
Sometimes I have to do that to myself… although my bugbear is trying to do too many things at once. When I start spinning around in circles like a top, I grab and pencil and paper and write it down. Then I can check it off as I go and know I didn’t forget anything.
That may be why Emily sticks her head in the TV… otherwise she has too many things to do… or maybe too much input.
Sometimes I have to do that to myself… although my bugbear is trying to do too many things at once. When I start spinning around in circles like a top, I grab and pencil and paper and write it down. Then I can check it off as I go and know I didn’t forget anything.
That may be why Emily sticks her head in the TV… otherwise she has too many things to do… or maybe too much input.