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Too many ideas = sensory overload, any advice?

OutwardBoundBob

Hi all,

I hope this isn't a rambling post. I'm struggling at the moment with having too many creative ideas in my head. I have always been a visual, creative person and my profession, when I could work, was as a set and costume designer. I haven't worked for 20+ years due to increasing mental health problems and particularly the sensory problems that I experience. It sounds contradictory that I work best with visual material but give me too much of it and I just have a meltdown. Yesterday I had to spend 5-6 hours lying in a dark room as I was completely overwhelmed. My question is this, do any of you guys experience such a high volume of ideas that your brain simply cannot cope with them? I've tried all the 'tools' in my cognitive toolbox (I had been receiving CBT sessions) and all of my other coping strategies. I've listed all the artwork projects that I would like to attempt or complete but this in itself has led to each project being broken down into sub-categories, it is an immense list. I can visualise each project and piece of work in my mind and I think just going through these is leading to my meltdowns. I've sat down and tried to just doodle but end up getting frustrated, I've tried to allocate the projects time slots just to get myself started but then panic ensues when I cannot 'perform'. I've read many of your articles and see that meditation/mindfulness seems to help a lot of people. Meditation itself I find counterproductive and mindfulness is an abstract concept that I can't understand. Does anyone have any other suggestions? This has ended up sounding rather negative but I appreciate that I am fortunate to have any ideas at all. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Parents

  • i'm hoping as i get older i'll be able to eliminate some interests, so i can focus more on the ones remaining. i think for me the novelty of new ideas and concepts is like candy, and i just consume it... often for years. i think for me, letting go entirely of some of these various interests would help streamline everything, and i can concentrate on what is left. which should be the stuff i'm more interested in.

  • in reply to raspberrypie

    Hi there! Do you have any plans or ideas about how you might filter these various interests?

  • in reply to OutwardBoundBob

    hi b.  i'm 'down sizing', so getting rid of 'things.' so, simplifying. i'm trying to listen to myself, like, for a certain activity, does it really make me happy.............. or maybe not really.... or maybe not at all. so keeping track. i'm also searching for my own true path. i've always considered myself NT - so pursuing NT goals (shallow, spending $$, attracted to new junky stuff, no offense!!!) i've put aside. i'm trying to eliminate things that take energy from me, and insert in things that give me energy. 

    so i don't watch much tv, i surf on the net too much (negative, probably), i read less, i don't watch movies... i try to listen to more music. i try not to get too engrossed in the news (it's literally all about stupid people, in stupid nations, in the stupid, stupid, world).

    that's my solution. part of it is i'm in my sixties, so you tend to get grouchy and cranky and limit your interests cause you're all old and bitter, lol.

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  • in reply to OutwardBoundBob

    hi b.  i'm 'down sizing', so getting rid of 'things.' so, simplifying. i'm trying to listen to myself, like, for a certain activity, does it really make me happy.............. or maybe not really.... or maybe not at all. so keeping track. i'm also searching for my own true path. i've always considered myself NT - so pursuing NT goals (shallow, spending $$, attracted to new junky stuff, no offense!!!) i've put aside. i'm trying to eliminate things that take energy from me, and insert in things that give me energy. 

    so i don't watch much tv, i surf on the net too much (negative, probably), i read less, i don't watch movies... i try to listen to more music. i try not to get too engrossed in the news (it's literally all about stupid people, in stupid nations, in the stupid, stupid, world).

    that's my solution. part of it is i'm in my sixties, so you tend to get grouchy and cranky and limit your interests cause you're all old and bitter, lol.

Children
  • in reply to raspberrypie

    Hey! Simplifying mentally or physically seems to be a reoccurring theme here. I've been thinking a lot today about the replies that people have posted. I'm going to re-read them tomorrow as to not overwhelm myself with too much information but there's been some really interesting comments. I like the idea of eliminating the things that take energy from me. It's all good stuff and I need to take some time picking through it.

    When you reach your 60's do you get a 'I'm allowed to be grouchy' free pass? I jest. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and I hope you have success simplifying things!