Anything that you do to avoid facing your feelings, especially if you do it compulsively, can be considered emotional Novocain. For example: scrolling social media posts, gossiping with friends, distracting yourself with alcohol or online shopping, even focusing exclusively on other people’s problems instead of your own. If you find yourself doing such activities when negative feelings of loneliness, boredom, or sadness come up, ask yourself if you are behaving this way to avoid feeling something else. These activities are fine if you are truly enjoying them for their own sake. But if you are actively trying to distract yourself from an unpleasant emotion, stop the mindless activity and allow yourself to experience and cope with whatever feelings you have been trying to avoid.
If these feelings are overwhelming, it might be wise to seek out a counselor or other mental health professional. They can help you acknowledge these thoughts and feelings and teach you new coping mechanisms. If these thoughts and feelings are troublesome but not life threatening, a life coach and even hypnosis might be of some benefit.
If you have questions about life coaching or hypnosis, I am happy to discuss these with you. You can contact me at holtadams2002@yahoo.com or 361.442.9590. There is no charge for time spent in answering your questions about either one.