Be kind in empty spaces

There’s lots of learning, wisdom and sometimes peace in empty spaces.

Empty spaces are uncomfortable for many of us. They can feel lonely, confusing and even scary. Our instinct is often to want to fill them up as quickly as we can. These can include everything from blank walls, awkward silences, our downtimes, break-ups, the moment before we fall asleep. We need to be careful with how we fill these spaces.

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Our thoughts are often the first thing to rush into empty spaces. Our brains want to make sense of the situation. It’s amazing how quickly though, our brain jumps to critical, negative and suspicious interpretations. These interpretations and thoughts are often untrue, unfair and unhelpful. This is especially true when these thoughts lead to big feelings and unhealthy responses.

There is also the temptation to fill empty spaces with busy schedules, distractions and noise. We hope that we can escape the uncomfortable feelings by busying ourselves. This can be dangerous, because it doesn’t give us the chance to really understand, process and choose what we want to do with that empty space.

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There can be value in pausing before filling empty spaces. Reflect and be careful with the way you start thinking in these moments. Sometimes you need to write down and reread the way you are thinking. Also, try your best not to just busy yourself for the sake of being busy. Take time to be still with the empty space before deciding what you want to do next. There’s lots of learning, wisdom and sometimes peace in empty spaces.