Diary Of An Overthinker: Entry 006

Busy Lifestyle, Rewiring Habits and The Dopamine Generation

Hello Reader,

Welcome to another entry from the Diary of an Overthinker. If you’re a new subscriber, I encourage you to visit the first entry so you know what to expect, as well as to read a disclaimer about my writing. Not reading the first entry could lead to misconceptions and misunderstandings that I would prefer to avoid, so it would be greatly appreciated if you started with my first entry.

Link to Entry 001:
https://stephietait.substack.com/p/diary-of-an-overthinker?r=43h2ij

I am an overthinker, and this is my way of sifting through my thoughts to find clarity in life so I can be the best version of myself over time—and you get to read all of it.

Let’s get into it.

My Busy Life Kept Me From Self-Exploration

For most of my life, I thrived on being busy. If I wasn’t moving from one event to another, I was diving headfirst from project to project. It was the lifestyle I was raised with, reinforced through adolescence, and carried into my married life. It felt normal, fine even until my husband asked me a question that lingered longer than I expected: Is ‘fine’ still enough today when it could be good? If not, what is your good?

At first, I didn’t fully understand what he meant. But as time passed, the weight of that question grew heavier. I was so immersed in my busy lifestyle that I didn’t realize my values were shifting. The sacrifices I once accepted like time away from my husband, and the loss of spontaneity in the name of productivity, missing another family member's birthday who is important to me, were slowly becoming things I wasn’t so willing to trade. Yet, instead of listening to that internal tug for change, I pushed forward, convincing myself that keeping busy was the only way I'd ever be satisfied.