This topic is SO much fun to read
Glad to know I'm not alone...
Granted, the game can be very addictive at times, and some parts can be very intrusive to your everyday routine, such as walking through town and stopping before every other house to take a photo because you want to have a go at building it in-game. Still, this has helped me to move away from simple box-style design.
A bit more annoying, but still funny, is when I talk to someone and see the little blue plus-signs floating, or catch myself checking out the other person's facial features and pondering their traits. I tend to lose track of the actual conversation, too.
Twice so far, I've prepared for my day job (teaching) by "Practicing speech" in front of a mirror... in Simlish
probably looks silly, but helped me focus a great deal.
So yeah... combined with a new sense of appreciation of my surroundings, this game has sneakily taught me to become more organised, and freed my cluttered mind
I'd only say you've played too much Sims when it's dark outside suddenly and you have no idea how it happened