When being busy becomes a way of not feeling

There is nothing wrong with being busy, and there are times in life when we simply have a lot to do. But when having some free time starts to feel uncomfortable, we may immediately look for other things to occupy ourselves with. More work, more tasks, more plans and more things to sort out.

Sometimes, when we finally stop, what we haven’t had the time or space to feel begins to surface. A sadness we have been putting off. A worry that taking action keeps at a distance. A sense of loneliness that emerges in the silence, or thoughts we would rather not hear. Being busy can therefore become, often unconsciously, a way of avoiding this discomfort.

Sometimes, distracting ourselves helps. On the other hand, it can also prevent us from understanding and making space for parts of ourselves that need to be cared for, so that we can move forward with greater ease and calm. This can be challenging. But, little by little, we can learn to recognise what we are feeling and better understand what we don’t always have space to listen to in everyday life