TL;DR: Busyness to Busy-less

Ever feel trapped in a cycle of busyness and stress? It can feel so hard to “turn it off.” Trust me, I know. Having faced it in my life and the lives of many others, I’ve learned (and relearned) a few important things.

Our bodies and minds are rhythmic. We move between higher and lower energy and activity throughout the day. We all peak, and we all valley. This is natural and healthy. Breathe in. Breathe out. The cycle of life goes. To have our “up time,” we all, require “down time,” breaks, and rest, but we are absolutely bombarded with information, impositions, distractions, and activating stimuli.

We live in a world of what Professor Cal Newport calls, “solitude deprivation.” Solitude is best defined as “the freedom from input from other minds,” and it is accessible to us all throughout the day, every day. Empirically, it contributes to peace and rest, recovery and rejuvenation, inspiration, creativity, and problem solving, even enhanced self-worth.

Free yourself. Skip the podcast, resist the urge to scroll, close your computer, turn off email, silence your phone, and just be – after all, we are human beings not doings.

Curiously search where you can get solitude, how you feel when you do it, and how you transform with consistent practice.

In the midst of the chaos, solitude just might be the sanctuary you need to rest, recover, and be well.

Craig Keaton, PhD, LMSW

Burnett School of Medicine at TCU Director of Wellbeing