Send us a text Ever notice how the moment you try to slow down, your brain suddenly fills with everything you've been avoiding? That's not a glitch—it's precisely why mindfulness matters. We've convinced ourselves we're too busy for mindfulness, but what if busyness is just our cleverly disguised escape route? This episode dives into the confronting reality that mindfulness exposes everything we've been avoiding—and why that exposure might be exactly what we need for genuine healing. The science is clear: our brains are wired to protect us from discomfort. When emotional pain surfaces, our amygdala sounds the alarm, and we reach for our favourite numbing strategies—scrolling, working, shopping, or simply declaring "I'm fine" when we're anything but. Yet research shows that emotions, when fully felt, typically pass within 90 seconds. Our avoidance doesn't shorten the storm; it stretches it out. Mindfulness offers a different path. By activating the prefrontal cortex and down-regulating the amygdala, it helps us sit with discomfort rather than run from it. This isn't about feeling good—it's about feeling honest. The moment we stop resisting difficult emotions is often when they begin to soften. Pain intensifies in avoidance but loses power in presence. Ready to meet what you've been avoiding? Try these approaches: 1) Name feelings without fixing them. 2) Allow discomfort to pass through rather than build up, and 3) Practice mindful discomfort. Journal about emotions you've been avoiding, places where you mistake busyness for regulation, and how you might create space this week to feel instead of flee. Because here's the truth: you can't heal what you won't face. Join us in breathing, pausing, feeling, and finally stopping the pretense that we're fine when we're not. www.in8code.com
