A heavy box is easier to carry when you hold it close. So are hard things you stop holding at arm’s length.

Distance is what makes weight unbearable. Held out in front of you a box tears at your arms, and tucked against your chest the same box becomes manageable, which is a fact about physics rather than strength. Something similar happens with whatever you are refusing to look at directly. Keeping it slightly away from you costs more than facing it would.

Name the thing you have been handling at arm’s length and bring it in: read the message, check the balance, say the worry out loud to one person. It will not weigh less, but it moves closer to your centre and becomes easier to carry.