Sadness, disengagement, loneliness, or stuckness of any sort can feel overwhelming and hopeless. The source is naturally different for each individual and each situation, but the way in which it often ends up making someone’s world very small is often shockingly similar. There are numerous therapies, medications, books, podcasts, and various interventions focused on assisting individuals who feel low and hypoaroused, and some metaphorical reframes can be a part of the journey to find a way out and back to present living. Thinking about a situation differently does not solve all difficulties, but it can be a part of the figurative U-turn that may be needed.
When depression, grief, disappointment, or any type of sadness-based devastation is strong, there is often a tendency for humans to go inside and almost shrink into a smaller world. This makes sense in that something feels overwhelming, we can become hopeless, frozen, or desire to simply flee from the demands of life.
And making our world smaller is actually the exact opposite of what we often need at that time. We all need more rest, space, and breaks at times, of course; however, hunkering down into the smaller world, such as operating primarily from one’s bed or couch, leads to........