What to Do When You Want to Escape the Moment

(mouse clicks) (gentle music) Headspace Studios. (soft music) Hi, it's Dora, and this is Radio Headspace. Have you ever caught yourself scrolling, fantasizing, or mentally planning a whole new life, all to avoid the discomfort of the moment you're actually in? Yeah, same. Sometimes it's subtle, like opening your phone for the 10th time in an hour. Other times it's a full-on mental vacation. Suddenly you're living on a beach in Bali, writing a memoir, and somehow your laundry no longer exists. Escaping the present moment is a very human thing, especially when the present moment is awkward, heavy, or just plain boring. But mindfulness offers us something different. It invites us to stay long enough to understand what we're actually feeling and maybe even make peace with it. And I learned this the hard way at a silent retreat. But before we go deeper, let's be clear about one thing. This episode is about everyday life discomfort, not about situations where your physical, mental, or emotional safety is at risk. In those cases, leaving or seeking support is the most mindful thing that you can do. So back to the silent retreat, I had signed up thinking I was ready. I pictured myself sitting peacefully under a tree, breathing in gratitude and breathing out wisdom. Reality check. By day two, I was mentally redecorating my apartment, writing imaginary texts I couldn't send, and planning elaborate post-retreat snack runs. My body was still, but my mind was everywhere, wondering what time it was, how many days were left, and whether it was too soon to escape without anyone noticing. But then something shifted. I was sitting in a group meditation, fidgeting like usual, when the teacher said something so simple, it stopped me. "You don't have to like the moment, "you just have to notice it." And that sentence gave me a little more space, space to acknowledge that I didn't want to be there, that my mind was screaming for distraction, but also that I was okay. Not blissed out, not floating, but breathing, present, awake to what was actually there. And strangely, that felt like enough. If you find yourself fantasizing about the future, mentally relocating, or scrolling your way out of discomfort, you are not alone. In fact, on average, humans spend 30 to 50% of their waking hours fantasizing and daydreaming. So here are a few gentle ways to return to here. Number one is to name the urge to escape. When you catch yourself checking out, just say it, "I'm trying to escape right now." Naming it creates distance from the urge. Number two is to get curious about the discomfort. Ask yourself, what feels hard about this moment? What am I hoping to avoid or fix? That awareness alone can soften the experience. And number three is to use the breath as a home base. Take a slow inhale and an even slower exhale. Ground your feet, feel your body. You're already here, and...