Reflections on the Tao Te Ching Chapter 12

The five colors make one blind in the eyes
The five sounds make one deaf in the ears
The five flavors make one tasteless in the mouth
Racing and hunting make one wild in the heart
Goods that are difficult to acquire make one cause damage
Therefore the sages care for the stomach and not the eyes
That is why they discard the other and take this

Source: taoism.net/tao-te-ching-online-translation

Nothing outside of you can bring lasting happiness. Sensory pleasures are transitory. Craving them only leads to suffering which causes us to act in irrational ways. Be kind to yourself though when you find you are acting like this. Remember you're always doing your best. Come back to the breath. Centre and ground yourself. Feel your connection with the earth. Breathe deeply and slowly. Ahhhh…

Seeking pleasure alone will cause you eventually to get overwhelmed. ‘There is so much choice. I get like a rabbit in the headlights. The more I have, the more I want and the more empty I feel!’

Then let go of craving. Recognise it when it occurs. Honour your feelings and don’t try to suppress them. Let them flow through you. It’s ok to feel, to be sensitive and have emotions. It’s all part of the human experience. Think for a moment. What would you be without them? Dull and lifeless. They remind you that you're alive, that life is precious and also meant to be enjoyed. But that view of ‘enjoyment’ gets distorted and that’s when you start to seek satisfaction outside of yourself. But that will always be a fruitless effort. It’s a waste of time. It will only lead you further down the rabbit hole and the deeper you go the longer it will take to climb out again.
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So acknowledge your feelings and remember they aren’t who you are. They don’t define you. They are a result of your conditioning. Where you want to put your effort is being in the flow and breaking free from your conditioned existence. Then you will be at peace, when nothing can shake your equanimity, when you stop being reactive and are kind and compassionate to everyone – especially to yourself.