The Quiet Room

Pain, Performance and The Art of Distraction

I think if I’m asked what is the best anaesthetic, I might just say distraction…..

I stumbled upon a realization recently that has refused to leave me: pain relief does not actually “stop” pain. It simply convinces the brain to ignore it, creating a mental ceasefire until the body can catch up with the work of healing.

Since learning this, I have started to notice how my own mind plays this trick on me, no medication required.

I first experienced or should I say noticed it for the first time, last year. I had just completed a particularly grueling session at the gym. My legs were in so much pain that I was visibly limping. However, I had a hangout scheduled, a long-awaited reunion with my secondary school classmates. The moment I arrived, the excitement of the reunion took over. We were laughing and reminiscing, and for those few hours, the limp vanished. I didn’t “endure” the pain; I genuinely stopped feeling it.

But the second the adrenaline faded and I was back in the car, I remembered I was in pain, and slowly it kept coming back. Every muscle fiber immediately reminded me of its grievance. I felt everything again, perhaps even more sharply than before.

It happened again this morning. I woke up struggling with some significant abdominal discomfort. Yet, I had an interview. During the session, I was composed and sharp; the pain didn’t exist. But the moment I crossed the threshold of my home and returned to my own space, my mind thought about food, and that reminded me of the ache I had this morning and the agony returned.

It made me realize that “busyness” is perhaps the most potent painkiller we possess. When our minds are occupied with survival, ambition, or connection, they relegate our physical struggles to the background.

But there is a deeper lesson here that extends beyond the physical.

How often do we do this with our lives? We “hustle” to drown out the silence of a lonely season. We stay busy to avoid the ache of a disappointment we haven’t yet processed. We chase the next milestone or social event because as long as we are moving, we don’t have to carry the weight of what is actually hurting.

The “interview” eventually ends. The “reunion” finishes. We all have to return to our quiet rooms eventually. And when we do, and the noise stops, the pain is always there waiting for us.

Distraction is a remarkable tool for getting through a difficult day, but it is not a cure. Healing requires us to eventually sit with the discomfort, acknowledge it, and give it the attention it requires to truly get better.

Don’t wait until you are back in the “quiet room” to realize you have been limping.

With love,

Big Zee💛