There is a theory which says that the logical part of the brain suppresses the emotional part. And that is why complex funeral rituals were established, so that the family gets so busy logically arranging the funeral that they have no time to grieve.
That is what we do too. After any emotional trauma, we overwork and stay busy to avoid thinking about it. Because the day you actually sit down and think of all that you have lost, will be the day that the world will seem to have come to a standstill- and slowing down isn’t an option in this fast-paced life.
Many of us are workaholics because we are running away from something- waiting for the day when we can slow down and finally grieve.
‘Zindagi Ki daudti raftaar mein,
Rukna kaayarta hai, rukna apraadh hai.
Jis din zindagi thaihraav bardaasht karegi,
Uss din, waqt thaame, tujhe yaad karenge…’
Or maybe we just wait for time to dull the pain. Whatever the reason, I don’t think either of these approaches are healthy. It is like hiding an injury in the hope that it will heal by itself. Sure, sometimes it does heal. But sometimes, just sometimes, the wound festers and becomes worse than it was before.
That is why it is important that even if you decide to distract your mind with work after an emotional trauma, you must make sure to pause at least once during the day and check up on yourself. Maybe talk to a loved one about it. Because the day we stop talking to ourselves is the day we stop being self-aware. And that can have all sorts of repercussions on our body, mind and even self-esteem.
So yes, you. You, the one busy with projects and networking and working towards that next raise. When was the last time you stopped and checked up on yourself?