Craving attachment clenching

From Oliver Burkeman  link

Time and again in creative work, and in life in general, I find that what gets me unstuck is a psychological ‘move’, a shift of orientation, that I’ve only ever been able to describe using the word unclenching. Which is arguably unfortunate, but anyway: it seems to be my default response to uncertainty or overwhelm or other difficulties to tighten up against them so as to hold them at bay – when in fact that leads only to paralysis and a sense of sterility. It’s loosening up and “de-cramping” in the midst of the difficulty that lets the action start to flow again, gives juice to the work I’m creating, or leads to problems being solved in unexpected ways.

I mean “unclenching” metaphorically, but also literally: it’s crazy how readily I will unconsciously tighten my jaw or fists or forehead muscles when heading into some entirely mind-based challenge that can’t possibly benefit from any such physical bracing. And always, in those cases, it’s the physical act of unclenching that begins to free things to start moving again. (I’m aware of some people who argue that the Buddhist idea of “craving” or “attachment” might be better translated as “clenching” – which would make it the ultimate cause of basically all suffering.)

Here's a reader's comment to this post:

My therapist points out this behavior in me commonly. Bracing, he calls it, and now I do too. It is exactly as you say - tensing the body as if life is always about to give one a blow. Recognizing it doesn't necessarily unstick me creatively, but it is much more pleasant to go through one's days without the added tension of holding everything in.