How to Stop Spending So Much Time in Your Head
The answer to your problems is in the “here and now.”
Despite traveling the world for almost two straight years by myself, I almost never feel lonely—except for one situation.
It’s not when I see couples holding hands. It’s not when I see groups of friends laughing together. It’s not when I’m dealing with an injury and have to figure out how to do everything myself.
It’s when I’m walking down a busy street and I notice I’m the only person who’s in the “here and now.”
Looking at others, I can tell everyone is mentally somewhere else—in the future, in the past, thinking about something else, or trying to be in another place. They aren’t on the street with me; they’re someplace far, far away.
How can I tell?
It’s actually quite easy.
When they walk, they drift from left to right, completely oblivious of everything and everyone in front, behind, or beside them. Their faces are expressionless and they seem unaware of their surroundings.
When they walk, many of them are glued to their phones—when the light turns green at a crosswalk, they don’t move because they even haven’t noticed. They’re talking on the phone. They’re listening to music. They’re thinking…
