Week 36 - Zoning Out

ZONING OUT

When we are tired we often zone out with activities that

take us away from what we are experiencing. These can

take the form of excessive alcohol or drugs, or perhaps

hours of mindless television.

Apart from the physical dangers of long-term substance misuse, any activity that stops us feeling is shutting us off from living life, with all that it entails. Experiencing emotions—even the unpleasant ones—makes us feed alive. The occasional binge on never-ending reruns of a made-for-television soap when we are tired will not do lasting harm, but if we repeatedly shut down when things are uncomfortable the behaviour becomes habitual, and so we shut down from all the positive experiences, too. Life becomes joyless and we feel as if we are simply existing, drifting through it with no purpose or meaning.

It's easy to slide into unhelpful patterns without realising, so pay attention this week to those occasions when you feel you are turning away from your experience and choosing to zone out. Pay attention to what prompts and drives this behaviour. Can you do something different? How do you feel once you have?

Sometimes small shifts are all that is needed. Turning the television off when your favourite show has finished, rather than moving on to the next thing without making a conscious choice, is a good start.