It was the works Christmas do this evening. The venue was much better than last year: there might have been music in the background, but it was unobtrusive. However, it was still bloody noisy!

At least the food was good.

But that’s not what I wanted to talk about.

There’s an image I have in my mind when I’m in a place with lots of conversations going on around me – all too loud and intrusive for me to be able to focus on any one of them: imagine one of those graphics of sound with all those spikes and waves. Now imagine it as a circle.

Each conversation around me is a spike of distraction competing for my attention. The spikes are apparently random, dashing off in all directions, making it impossible to follow a single thread.

My poor brain is attempting to process every single soundbite it perceives – and manages to process none of them.

And it is exhausting.

I was lucky, though – a colleague needed to head off early and offered me a lift, and I grabbed the chance to slip out before I completely fried my circuits.

So even after an enjoyable evening with good colleagues and friends I am whacked out.

My ears are buzzing and I am frazzled!