Mental Energy Levels

Some activities take more mental energy, alertness, and attention than others. From low to high:

* Sleeping

* Staring blankly while sitting or lounging

* Sipping a drink alcoholic or otherwise

* Cuddling

* Taking a bath

* Listening to music

* Driving in ordinary conditions

* Interacting with a pet

* Watching spectator sports

* Looking at art in a gallery or museum

* Browsing statistics (e.g. in an almanac or government publication) or maps

* Washing dishes or dealing with trash/recycling/compost

* Facebook

* Grocery shopping

* Making journal entries

* Reading the newspaper or its online equivalent

* Scanning academic journal abstracts

* Researching a non-legal topic

* Watching TV or a streaming video

* Watching a full length movie or opera or ballet or play

* Choosing presents for particular occasions

* Applying math or physics rules that I already know

* Gardening or landscaping work

* Making a music playlist

* Cooking

* Reading fiction for pleasure

* World building in anticipation of writing fiction

* Leading a meeting

* Blogging 

* Rehearing for a music or drama performance

* Participating in most team sports at my mediocre level

* Typical legal work outside of a trial or hearing

* Teaching a continuing education class or college class

* Tutoring

* Reading non-fiction (or a fiction classic for a class)

* Learning how to use a new appliance

* Figuring out why a computer or app thing isn't working properly, or learning a new computer or phone skill

* Social chit chat or being at a party

* Filing papers (i.e. into categories and files)

* Writing fiction

* Planning an event or trip

* The design phase of a remodeling or landscaping project

* Hiking or going on a walk in an unfamiliar place

* Handling the return of a purchased product

* Learning new math or physics topics independently

* Driving in extreme conditions (e.g. an intense snowstorm)

* Acting as a lawyer in a trial or hearing or high pressure emergency situation

* Doing business management/accounting work

* Ice skating

* Trying to learn a foreign language