Information Overload

Too much information coming at my brain...when I am feeling especially overloaded and stressed out, I start looking for ways to cut out the constant stream of information coming at me.

Some days, I don't turn on my radio on my 40-mile commute. I usually rely on NPR for world news, and their arts and human interest stories are always good. However, when I am stressed out, I get tunnel-vision, and need all my mental energy just to focus on getting through my daily work-home-children-marriage-life-merry-go-round.

Ditto for why I changed my internet homepage away from Yahoo, which blurts tantalizing news snippets at me, and why we do not have a newspaper coming to our house. I cancelled 2 group maillists that I was on. After joining them over a year ago, but not making a single group event, I realized I just don't have time right now, no matter how much I want to go to these things.

In fact, there are times when just giving up on a fun project that has become a dreaded one, skipping a gym date (or 10), or any type of cutting back just feels GOOD. It gives me some mental space to let my mind wander, or puzzle over a work problem until I figure out just what is bothering me about a new proposal. Time to THINK. A lot of Aha! moments happen during my drive in to work when the radio is off.

Which reminds me...I bought this great book, Not-So-Big Life, last year, and started reading it as part of my annual life makeover quest (there is a reason my blog title is "Seeking"). I lost track of it in the busyness of life. The author, Susan Susanka, recommends meditation as a daily practice to stay focused. I believe it's time to go look for that book again...