Being Overly Busy Is A Trauma Response
- Sep 9, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 12, 2021
Written by: Annette Maria, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
We live in a society that values being overly busy while constantly producing. While often we blame society for the pressures, I invite us (myself included) to take a look within and ask how am I perpetuating the values of society that I don’t align with?
If we want to live in a society that values self-care, self-worth & time freedom, how are we doing that for ourselves? It all starts within. We cannot expect the external world to create what we want for us — we need to create it for ourselves.
Let’s take a look at being overly busy.
Being in a state of rush and busyness has been deemed as very bad and wrong. But if we can understand why we operate in this way — then possibly we can soften into the way we actually want to be moving forward. Many operate in a state of busyness because it is a way for us to cope with trauma that occured in our lives. Being in this state of “go” is also known as your sympathetic nervous system being turned on all the time.
When the sympathetic nervous system’s responsibility is to turn on when we are only in danger to help us fight and then we are meant to drop back into a parasympathetic state which is resting and the ability to digest all that is. We are intended to spend most of our time in this state. This is the functioning system that has not been through trauma.
When a person who has gone through trauma and has not had the ability to process it fully — the nervous system gets locked in that trauma state thinking that it is not safe — hence the desire to always be running, going, and being busy. The body is trying to protect itself from the threat. But if that threat is no longer a part of our lives — what are we actually running from? Oftentimes it may be the pain, uncomfortable feelings, and the thought — if I look at all darkness I will not survive it, so we continue to push it away and spend our lives running and masking it with various addictions like working, drugs or overindulging.
I’m here to tell you on the other side of the pain that one may be avoiding, there is more light. By the Law of Polarity — you will not stay in the depths of your darkness for eternity, you will move to the other side.
Acknowledging all that you have been through in life is an act of true courage and what you have moved through may even have a lesson for you to learn from. If we are able to reprocess our trauma, reclaim our power, remind ourselves that we are worthy within this moment — that putting more on our to-do list won’t actually make us feel worthy. It ends up making us feel more empty. Isn’t it silly how we think an act will make us feel better and give us what we want may have the other adverse effect? Simply taking a moment to remember the innocence within us even when speaking on trauma and pain — it all exists. It can all exist for you as well — you no longer need to keep running from your shadow. If you have struggled with burnout and constant busyness — I ask you to run into your shadow instead. Ask what it is here for you. Allow the warrior that is operating in your daily life to now be used for the internal work, remember you have the power within you to overcome your darkest days. Because you already did! You already moved past moments in your life that you thought you’d never make it out of.
Doing this work is not something that needs to be done alone. The journey of going into our depths can be intimidating and working with a guide who understands these realms is important on your path. You will need to discern when you need to ask for help and when you need to forge ahead alone. The work I do with impact-driven leaders is through somatic healing, energy work, channeled meditations & talk coaching. It is a holistic approach that brings the mind, body & spirit into the journey of facing all that has been making you “go go go” in your daily life so that you can finally soften into being here, presently now.
Ask for the support you need, it is here for you.
Know that you do not need to keep living in a constant state of overly doing, you are worthy to rest and enjoy it. Your life was meant to also have innocence and play. Your laugh is just as welcomed as your frustration. It all has a place. If we want society to change and value rest & fun — we need to value it ourselves. We need to come to a place within ourselves that we may understand that doing has equal space in our lives as resting.
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Annette Maria, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Annette Maria is Founder of Sanctuary Publishing, Best Selling Author, Host of Sacred Dance Podcast & Intuitive Facilitator of Healing. Through Sanctuary Publishing she supports entrepreneurs in becoming published authors to make a greater impact. Annette believes through storytelling, you can show others what is possible for their lives. She wants to see the planet as a place that supports each individual in feeling wildly expressed while living out their soul’s purpose. She resides in New Jersey with her artist partner, George & rescue dog, Max.
