Stop Numbing and Start Being Present to Your Life

How do you deal with the things that cause you discomfort or suffering? How do you overcome the painful experiences and move on with your life? You must have tried to escape the hurt by doing so many other things to make yourself feel happy. 

No one wants to experience discomfort, so we end up procrastinating. Instead of finding a solution to deal with the problem, we end up choosing what makes us feel comfortable at the moment. 

Though experts say mindfulness activities could help lessen the pain, most people still believe that by avoiding the problem, it will just disappear. But does it?

Because you don’t want to deal with the problem at present, you end up distracting yourself with whatever is available. You turn to technology or try to get lost in your thoughts about the past or your plans about the future. 

You have become so good at numbing yourself to the experience. It seems like the most logical thing to do. But what if there is something you can do to deal with the problem? 

What if you could commit to something that could help you find comfort? Would you go for it?

How Do You Numb Yourself

You are not alone in the practice of numbing yourself in order to forget about dealing with your problems. There are many others like you who refuse to stay in the moment. 

In truth, mindful living can feel like you’re making your life harder, at least for the moment. The practice puts you in a position where you have to deal with feelings or situations that you’ve been afraid of facing. 

But how do people numb themselves? Below is a list of what you may be using to distract yourself. As you read, ask yourself: are you doing these things too?

Turning to distractions and procrastination

Whenever it feels as if the task at hand is too difficult, you begin to feel overwhelmed. So instead of dealing with it, you end up feeling too uncomfortable. You turn your attention to something else. You give in to distractions. You procrastinate until you’re left scrambling to get things done, which just adds more stress to your life.

Spending excessive time on social media 

Social media has stirred everyone’s imagination and keeps everyone busy, for better or for worse. Everything in it has become attractive. And although social media allows you to interact with people no matter the distance, it also presents several distractions. Because your mind is focused on your device, you end up forgetting about the present. You overlook the very thing that is in front of you and lose control of the output expected from you. 

Playing video games

Engaging in games can be a lot of fun. Video games, in particular, can be very engrossing, not to mention addictive. Much like those who have turned to social media for distraction, people who engage in video games can’t feel anything anymore. They fail to take notice of the things around them. They become completely absorbed by the video game that they fail to see what is happening in front of them. 

Drown yourself in work 

Maybe you have skipped the use of social media or that you don’t really play video games, but instead, you engage yourself with something that makes you feel good--work. You began to work like a maniac. You put great value in your work and keep yourself busy almost all the time. Keeping your mind focused on work helps you forget about what is happening at present. 

How To Live Mindfully

There are many other ways to help you numb out your feelings. Some people turn themselves to shopping to find comfort in their lives. There are others who turn to substance addiction to help them cope with anxiety and stress. 

But does the numbing truly help? 

Before you find your escape into something else, here are ways to practice mindfulness in your life. These are healthier alternatives to distractions that will still help you feel relaxed.

Take a break

Instead of procrastination, deal with the task on hand. When it seems too difficult to tackle, take a break. Ask yourself why you don’t want to work with the task on hand. Take a moment to feel the discomfort. Try to get to the bottom of the problem. What is making the job uncomfortable? 

If you are feeling insecure, help yourself deal with it. Ask for help if you need some. But remember to take on the task anyway. Just take a quick breather before you dive in. 

Keep a journal

Most people turn to social media to reconnect with family and friends they haven’t talked to for months or years. Although this is good for you, the distraction is not helping at all. What can you do instead? You can reconnect with yourself. 

How do you do it? Start a journal. Write about how you feel. Allow yourself to become more aware of what is happening mentally and physically. Take note of your feelings. Whether pleasant or unpleasant, write about it in your journal. 

When you have an alternative platform where you could freely express your thoughts and emotions, it will help you become more mindful about how you live your life. It doesn’t matter if the feeling is positive or negative. The thing to focus on is that you are allowing yourself to feel it. At least, then, you can do something to deal with it. 

Stop and do nothing

Whenever you are busy, you feel like you are living at the moment. But the truth is you are not. So when you feel like there is a lot you need to do, stop and try not to do anything. If you can, meditate. 

Meditation will help you clear your head and be mindful of your thoughts. Try to understand how you feel. Take note of the urge to do something. But instead of giving in to it, sit down and feel the moment. 

Living your life to the fullest means being able to live it with mindfulness. Knowing what is happening here and now is what truly helps a person live.