Understanding Anxiety in the Lulls

Lately, I’ve been paying closer attention to when I feel anxious. What I’ve noticed has been both surprising and enlightening.

I’ve always seemed to handle high-stress situations or busy times well. When there’s a lot on my plate—a packed schedule, multiple responsibilities, back-to-back deadlines—I tend to stay focused, productive, and relatively calm. But when there’s nothing urgent to tackle? That’s when my anxiety creeps in.

This past weekend was a whirlwind. I had a huge festival to direct, immediately followed by a big race the next day. The stakes were high, my to-do list was long, and my sense of urgency matched the demand. And yet, stress felt manageable. I was in motion, moving with purpose, and everything felt aligned.

Fast forward to today: the events are over, the responsibilities have been fulfilled, and I should be feeling a sense of relief. But instead, I’ve spent the whole day with this underlying anxiety that I couldn’t quite shake.

Then it dawned on me—my anxiety wasn’t about having too much to do, but rather, about having too little. My internal sense of urgency was still running high, but my external demands had drastically decreased. That mismatch created tension, leaving me feeling unsettled rather than at ease.

As soon as I recognized what was happening, I was able to take steps to manage it. Instead of letting the restlessness take over, I redirected that urgency toward tasks I had been putting off—things that weren’t immediate priorities before but still needed attention. And just like that, the anxiety started to ease.

This realization has given me a new perspective on how I manage stress and downtime. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the discomfort isn’t about having too much to do—it’s about learning how to slow down when the urgency fades. Recognizing this pattern allows me to take proactive steps to balance my energy, rather than letting anxiety fill the gaps.

So, if you’ve ever found yourself feeling more anxious when things quiet down, take a moment to check in. Maybe it’s not about the absence of tasks, but rather about recalibrating your internal pace. Finding small, meaningful ways to channel that urgency can turn anxiety into productivity, and ultimately, into peace.