Time to Zone Out....

Life goes through different phases, or what I call “zones”. Right now South Africa has voted for a new president. The political and serious zone. We are all – around the world in a zone of squeezing every bit of value out of all we do to justify our spending. The economic zone also a serious zone. Family crises…ill health, depression, anxiety, another serious zone.

To balance these zones we all need to find a zone out space. Be it spiritual, entertainment, food or physical. When the pressure increases from our serious zones we over compensate with the zone outs…

Today I began my day with a “choco-chino” and anchovy toast (just to stop the overcompensation). I look back to my behavior in this zone and I would have gone shopping, shopping and spending to numb the pressure. Or to stop feeling that much. Ifeel if I stuff myself, with retail therapy, food or drink then I will stop feeling and just react and become more robot like.

Aaargh!!! Am I on the border line?

When I was growing up (still haven’t yet) I used to observe my mother and her friends zoning out by having a whisky, a long chat or venting session. Sometimes this would extend to dinner…late, late nights. My father similarly would take a whisky and many cartons of cigarettes (it was fashionable to smoke then). I would worry, were they going into excess?

I moved into the adult world, and would snobbishly view my friends who would courageously have a drink or two or more, go jolling…head banging etc, smoke a joint or two or cartons of cigarettes and think “thank God I am in control of myself”

Now…well, isn’t shopping till I’m stuffed and eating copious amounts of anything sugar or salt just a little bit the same? Or am I still being snobbish?
I realize we all need time to zone out, we all need to compensate for the excessive pressure. We all need friends to hoist us back to reality and re-focus. I just thank God (no not that again) that my friends are in balance when I am over-compensating. That they are honest with me and courageous enough to either join me and allow me to be me at these times…it’s OK , I give myself permission to zone out….