To retreat is to pull back, to withdraw, perhaps to a place of safety. We all feel the need for that sometimes, particularly when life feels too intense or it seems as though things are moving too fast. We might feel as though, despite working harder than ever, it’s impossible to catch up. Or that while wanting to focus and do one thing well, we’re pulled in a hundred different directions and left unable to finish tasks or feel proud of our achievements.
Neuropsychologists call this “attention residue” – it’s a common phenomenon where we become distracted and part of our attention lingers with the previous activity, which slows us down and causes us to make more mistakes. This happens several times a day in our modern lives; in fact it happens every time we look at our phones mid-task. It’s then compounded by jobs with many moving parts and people to answer to, kids, responsibilities to other family members, and worrying about what is going on in the wider world.
