The Real Reason You’re Exhausted: How To Gain Control of Your Time & Your Life
The Mel Robbins Podcast
Deep Dive
Why do people feel the need to constantly stay busy?
People often stay busy to avoid underlying emotional pain, unresolved trauma, or feelings of unworthiness. It's a survival strategy to fill a deep need for connection and validation that was not met in childhood.
Is being productive always a good thing?
While productivity can fulfill intrinsic human needs for accomplishment, it can also become an addiction that harms life balance. Busy people often avoid deeper issues and may not be as productive as they appear.
How does stress become an addiction?
Stress can become an addiction because it triggers the release of endorphins, which provide pleasure and pain relief. This creates a cycle where people seek stress to feel relief from underlying emotional pain.
What role does childhood play in the addiction to busyness?
Childhood experiences, especially how love and value were received, shape our default behaviors. If love was conditional on performance, adults may seek constant busyness to feel worthy and loved, perpetuating a cycle of stress and avoidance.
How can one start to heal from the addiction to stress and busyness?
Healing begins with self-awareness and recognizing the impulse to stay busy. Practicing moments of stillness, like standing in line without a phone, can help reveal the underlying need for distraction and start the process of reconnecting with oneself.
- Feeling constantly busy and overwhelmed is a common phenomenon, especially during the holiday season.
- The addiction to busyness and stress is more than just a habit; it's a deeper issue related to avoiding internal pain.
- Dr. Scott Lyons, a trauma expert, explains why over-scheduling and constant stress can keep you disconnected from yourself.
Shownotes Transcript