Talking, concentrating, reading, listening, all of it.

I enjoy the ability to watch a good movie again and again without knowing the next move. I will recognize the situations but not be able to remember what happens next. The Bourne Trilogy is a good example.

I find that I am much more likely to be visually overwhelmed with a High Definition flat screen. Surround sound can also be too much for me.

Once you understand how the brain actually blends things together to make them easier to process, it makes sense that we have a difficult time. Our brains often lack this ability to blend and fade images together, especially when they are so vivid as in Hi Def.

I agree with Mark's observation about HDTV - I think it provides too much input to the brain (at least for me). I've basically stopped watching all television/movies until I get better. Some things that have helped me reduce my overall daily "intake" of stimulation include:

- Adding curtains to my bedroom to create a darker environment (before I had semi-useless blinds only)

- Placing a time limit on phone calls (30 mins max, preferably 5-10 mins). Before I would occasionally talk for an hour - I think this contributed to setbacks

- Less time on the computer (say, 20 mins instead of two hours). This is a hard one for me, as the computer is a nice distraction and a link to the outside world. But it's a necessary sacrifice

- Keeping conversations light and short

- Keeping emails short and to the point

- More naps - even non-sleeping ones. I think having some periodic shutdown time helps my brain slow down from the day's stimulation

- Less reading. When I started to feel better initially, I started reading a lot more. I think this was overly taxing for my brain. Now I just skim the newspaper, reading the occasional article, and read short sections (sometimes just a few pages) of the book I'm reading

- Meditation. I don't always do this, but I find 10-20 mins of meditation daily is a good way to slow everything down and promote the "relaxation response"

- For now, short slow walks in the pool in my building instead of short walks outside - less stimulation indoors

It's hard to give up all these things and to be so monastic in my day-to-day life, but I figure my priority at the moment is to heal. First I need to get better; then I can start to add activities back in.