Wellness Wednesday: Addiction to Chaos

Have you ever noticed that sometimes, when life finally settles down, you start to feel… uneasy? It’s almost as if quiet feels wrong. You’ve been running on high alert for so long that calm feels foreign. I’ve seen it in clients, and I’ve seen it in myself — that subtle discomfort that comes when there’s nothing to fix, no crisis to manage, no drama to diffuse. Suddenly, we’re scrolling, cleaning, overthinking, or picking a fight just to feel something again.

It’s called addiction to chaos.

And it’s more common than you think. When you’ve lived in survival mode, your body becomes wired for adrenaline. Calm doesn’t feel safe — it feels boring. But chaos, as exhausting as it is, feels familiar. The problem is that our nervous systems can only take so much. What once helped us survive starts to steal our wellness.

True wellness isn’t just about nutrition, exercise, or sleep. It’s about learning to let peace stay longer than panic — to live regulated instead of reactive.

Try This

1. Notice the pattern: When things are calm, do you feel restless or uncomfortable? That’s your cue that your body has associated chaos with safety.

2. Practice the pause: When you catch yourself creating busyness, pause for 60 seconds. Take a slow breath in and out, and remind your body, “Peace is safe.”

3. Rewire through rhythm: Add intentional calm into your day — a slow walk, journaling, or worship music with no other goal than being present. Over time, your nervous system learns that peace isn’t the absence of control — it’s the presence of trust.

Inviting God

God often meets us in the stillness. In 1 Kings 19:11–12 (NIV), Elijah didn’t find Him in the earthquake or the fire, but in the gentle whisper. Ask God to help you stop chasing chaos long enough to hear His whisper again.

Let’s Connect

Leave a comment or reach out to me via the website — let’s talk about how this has sparked your desire for better living. I’ll see you back here tomorrow for Think Better Thursday. And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss any future posts.

If today’s message spoke to you, you’ll love my book My Pocket Counselor — it offers perspective-shifting truth and faith-filled guidance to help you grow emotionally and spiritually, one step at a time.