Why do so many of us have a hard time just being?
Shira Savit, MA, MHC, INHC
“What should I DO?… I’m not hungry but I want the pizza.” “What should I DO? I’m trying to eat well but the scale isn’t budging.” “What should I DO? I can’t control myself around food.” “What should I DO?”
My response: nothing. Yes, surprisingly, the answer can be: To. Do. Nothing!
We may be familiar with the saying: We are human beings not human doings. Sometimes it’s important and necessary to be a human “doing.” Doing mode is goal oriented, it encourages us to get things done: finish the laundry, wash the dishes, run errands, fix problems. However, if doing is a person’s only modus operandus, it leads to burnout.
Women often share with me that their emotional eating is triggered by feeling depleted and burnt out. “I was busy the whole day running, running, kids, work, busy, busy, I couldn’t even catch my breath. Late at night when it’s finally quiet, I go straight for the ice cream; it’s the only way I know how to wind down.”
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