Sometimes we do not leave our lives. We leave what we feel when we are present to them. These articles explore the ways we reach for relief through work, busyness, scrolling, food, substances, withdrawal, perfection, or anything else that creates distance. The goal is not to condemn what helps us cope, but to notice what we are asking it to help us avoid.
You said you were not going to do it tonight. You meant it. That is the part other people may not understand. You were not lying when you said you wanted to stop. You were not pretending when you made the plan. And yet, here you are again. You tell yourself, I know this isn’t … More Why Do I Keep Doing What I Don’t Want to Do?
You pull into the driveway and turn off the car. You are home, but you do not go inside. Instead, you reach for your phone. You check a message, scroll for a moment, then look up and realize several minutes have passed. You tell yourself, I just need a minute.I’ll go in soon. Inside, someone … More When You Can Only Rest Where No One Can Reach You
