I have always found it fascinating how we all adopt myriads of ways to try to avoid facing the unhappiness we are feeling deep down in our lives. This is particularly so when the only real way to measure any form of success in life is by how happy we are feeling right now.
Avoidance techniques come in all shapes and sizes and can range from many forms of behaviours that we have become addicted to such as overworking, overeating, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, smoking, ideaological fanatasism, retail therapy and much much more. The essential underlying process is however the same in all of these behaviours – an attempt to stuff down our unhappiness for fear that we (or more particularly our egos) would not survive facing these feelings head on.
All that these behaviours achieve is a short term distraction from how we are feeling deep down about ourselves and our lives. Continue reading