Wednesday 13 March 2013

Am I Really Different?

Sometimes I think I'd like to just pop into someone else's head, just for a moment, to see if it sounds any different from how it sounds in my head.

Like, does everyone have a million things spinning in their brain most of the time?  Or is that just me?

I didn't always wonder about this, but the other day, Jay and I were (video) chatting, and he asked me what I was thinking.

I told him the first five things that popped into my head, really surface level thoughts... "I wish I hadn't eaten that last orange candy because I have none left.  Where did my other black sock go anyway?  I'm not sure about such and such at work.  I wonder when Steve will email me back.  I'm glad it was sunny today." and then I stopped.

I didn't even get into the bigger, deeper thoughts, the where is this relationship going to go, where is my life going to go, I hope my parents are ok, what will I do when they're gone, I bet I'll miss them a lot, kind of thoughts.

And even just telling him those few thoughts I had, maybe not quite half of the ones spinning in my brain at that moment, he seemed taken aback.

"Woah. That's a lot."

Which made me pause.

"Why, what are you thinking?"

"Nothing."

Man.  If that's how some people go through the day?  Having moments of thinking pretty much nothing?  Does that make me .... really weird?

So now I just want a few moments inside someone else's brain to see if I'm the rule or the exception.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm the same as you - I have lots of thoughts spinning around all the time. As soon as I wake up, I think about ten different things straight away. Sometimes I get tired of thinking and just want to slow down - do you ever feel like that too?

Also, about other people: I have long suspected that there are others like me who have a million thoughts in their head at a time and then there are people who seem to think at a slower more relaxed pace. So, I found your conversation with Jay quite interesting!

Michelle

Victoria said...

I SO think like that Michelle. And I've found some Mindfulness tapes (yes, I still call them tapes!) that do help a little with slowing down my thoughts. But, yeah, a lot of times I just want my brain to shut up already! ;)

Dominic said...

Men can't multi-task - well known fact.

So when we're talking to someone, we're genuinely not thinking of anything else.

That's just how we're wired.

Victoria said...

So do your brains only think about one thought at a time? Wait... maybe I don't want to know the answer to that ;)

Dateafrenchman said...

I totally have tons of thoughts in my head on a constant basis. Sometimes I'm talking and I'm already on to the next topic in my head, sometimes I'm two topics ahead even. It gets a bit crazy in there. I've honestly often wondered if others were like me. Now I know!

Victoria said...

Oh dear Data... I know that feeling! ;)

Anonymous said...

Thanks Victoria. I'll look out for the mindfulness 'tapes'. Might be good to help sleep on nights when there are too many thoughts spinning around and around....

Michelle

Victoria said...

Yeah, the ones I really like are by a guy called Dr Russ Harris, and they go along with his books, but I've only really read one ;)