Do You Ever Just Want to Get Away?
Do you know that feeling when life feels like too much? When the weight of everything—your job, your problems, even your own emotions—makes you want to escape? I think we’ve all been there. That deep yearning for a break, for some kind of relief, is so familiar.
Sometimes, if we’re lucky, we get to take a holiday. And for a while, it’s wonderful. We relax, we breathe, we feel lighter. But then we come back, and the same old grind is waiting for us. The same problems, the same patterns. It’s like the holiday was just a pause button, not a reset.
I’ve been through this cycle more times than I can count. And while holidays are lovely, I’ve realized they don’t really change anything—not in the long run.
The Common Belief: Breaks Are Temporary
We often think of breaks as something external—a getaway, a vacation, a moment of escape. And sure, those things help. They give us a breather, a chance to recharge. But they’re fleeting.
Even meditation, which I’ve found to be a powerful daily practice, can feel like a temporary fix. It’s a break, yes, but it doesn’t erase the challenges of life.
So, what if we could take a different kind of break? What if we didn’t have to wait for a holiday or a meditation session to feel lighter?
Reframing the Idea of a Break
Here’s the shift I’ve been exploring: what if we could carry that sense of lightness with us all the time? What if we could see the world differently—not as something heavy and overwhelming, but as something transient, workable, even playful?
Life is full of challenges. That’s just how it is. Trying to eliminate them entirely is a recipe for frustration and anxiety. But accepting that life is a mix of ups and downs—and that everything is constantly changing—can make it all feel less daunting.
It’s not about ignoring the hard stuff or pretending it doesn’t exist. That kind of forced positivity can backfire, leaving us with unresolved emotions that bubble up in unexpected ways. Instead, it’s about acknowledging the difficulties while holding them lightly, without letting them weigh us down.
A Story: Walking Through the Forest
I’ve had moments where this perspective clicks, and one of them happened while walking through the bush. There’s something about being surrounded by nature—the trees, the sounds, the stillness—that makes everything else drop away.
It’s like a walking meditation. You tune into the environment, and suddenly, the pressure of life feels less solid, less urgent. You’re just there, in the moment, and it’s enough.
What if we could walk through our lives like that? What if we could approach each day with the same curiosity and acceptance we feel on a peaceful walk through the forest?
What I Realised
Here are a few insights I’ve gathered from this idea of “walking lightly”:
- Life is transient: Everything changes, and no moment lasts forever. This can be comforting when things feel heavy.
- Challenges are part of the story: Like any good narrative, life has ups and downs. It’s what makes it interesting.
- Attitude matters: How we approach difficulties—whether with heaviness or lightness—shapes our experience.
- Awareness is key: Recognizing our patterns without judgment can help us step out of them.
- Small breaks add up: A deep breath, a moment of stillness, or even a laugh at ourselves can shift our perspective.
Why This Matters
This isn’t about pretending life is easy or dismissing the real struggles we face. It’s about finding a way to live with those struggles without being crushed by them.
When we remember that everything is workable, that no situation is as solid as it seems, we create space for lightness. And in that space, we can breathe, reflect, and maybe even laugh at ourselves.
It’s not always easy, and it takes practice. But the idea of taking a break—not just once in a while, but in every moment—feels like a way to walk through life with a little more ease.
Video Illustration
I look at this in my video Got to Get Away. In it there’s a woman on a futuristic cruise ship wearing clothes that don’t quite fit, surrounded by glamour that doesn’t quite satisfy. She finds an island. She leaves the ship. She becomes someone freer.
But that’s not really what the video is about.
Got to Get Away is an allegorical journey about the only escape that actually works — inward. The freedom isn’t in the island. It’s in the moment you stop running.
Watch it with that in mind.
Get the song here: https://tahlianewland.bandcamp.com/track/the-only-way-out-is-through
So, how do you manage that feeling of “I’ve got to get away”? Do you find ways to take small breaks throughout your day? Or do you carry the weight of life with you, hoping for a holiday to make it all better?
I’m learning to walk lightly, to see each moment as precious and fleeting, and to let that awareness bring a sense of ease. It’s not perfect, but it’s something.
Maybe life isn’t a beach holiday, but what if we could walk through it with the same curiosity and freshness?
