Slow Down...and Do the Things That Scare You

There’s a game I like to play with my younger clients when we are in the beginning stages of therapy. Well, it’s not really a game, and more like conversation cards. One of the cards ask “How do you act when you’re trying to avoid something?” The first time I pulled that card I laughed because I can answer that one. I make myself “busy” doing other things so I have an excuse on why I didn’t do what I needed to do. I started thinking of moments where I avoided doing things out of fear, and used “busy” as an excuse. How many of you are also using “busy” as a way to avoid doing things because they scare you? Slowing down is important for doing the things you love, but it also is important for work and growth. If we continue to keep ourselves busy we'll experience burnout. We’ll also be hindering ourselves from growing into who we want to be. Think about who you want to be, and what you’re doing to get there. Are you operating out of fear and holding yourself back? Are you giving it your all? What could you be doing instead? These questions might be difficult to answer. But answering them will help you decide if you need to change.

But what if I’m actually busy?

Some of you might actually be busy, and that’s okay. If you’re reflecting and wanting to know if you’re actually busy or creating busy work, this is what you should do. Ask yourself if what you’re doing is something that needs to be done right then and there, or if it could wait. If a lot of your tasks fall in the “wait” category, assess what should be in their place that you’ve been avoiding. Like I said, I love to avoid doing things that scare me. I’m remedying this by removing what I call “filler activities” and replacing them with the things I’ve avoided. These blog posts are an example. I love to write. But, writing and publishing my words for others to see has always been difficult for me. So, I’m posting no matter how I feel about the posts I’m writing because the goal is to get comfortable with posting. What are you going to add to replace your “filler activities?” Let me know in the comments.