Do you often find yourself saying, “I’m so busy” or “I just have too much to do?” Being busy is part of life, but it’s easy to get involved with so many activities that that we’re just plain worn out.
Why do we get so busy? There’s a variety of reasons: Most of us find it hard to say no. We feel obligated. There are so many good things to do, and so many good causes to join. We see guilty about doing nothing. We don’t want to let others down. We don’t want to fail. In addition, we often keep ourselves busy in order to feel a sense of control, as a distraction to deep uncomfortable feelings inside, to avoid feeling not enough, or to feel useful, worthy and valued by others.
Fifty years ago Thomas Merton wrote these words on busyness but I think they are relevant even today:
“The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence. More than that, it is cooperation in violence.”
It’s easy to get lost in the doing rather than living. Being crazy busy can mean that we let ourselves get so overscheduled that we forget to live a life that is authentically important to our Divine Self. Take a moment and notice what you are really doing with your time. Is your life filled and fulfilled—or simply busy?
If you are running from place to place and it seems like life is just passing you by, perhaps it’s a good idea to take a closer look at that largely self-imposed frenetic pace you’ve been keeping. Take a few deep breaths and look inside. What are the sensual things in life, the things that really make life worth living?
Top 10 Tips to Get Off the Busyness Wheel
- Make time to eat well and choose good food instead of eating from the vending machine
- Read a novel instead of watching television
- Take 1 minute in the morning to sit and breathe before heading out into the day
- Unplug the noise and feed your soul with 10 minutes of quiet time every day
- Sit in the sunshine at lunchtime and do nothing
- Reflect on the questions, “When I’m not busy, who am I? What would I be doing with my time if I wasn’t so busy?”
- Keep a journal to write down your dreams and desires. Are you doing the things that have value to you?
- Take charge of your life and learn to say “no”
- Set priorities and make sure your needs are at the top of your daily to-do list
- Setup systems that help streamline your day, and then work your system
What are you going to do to stop feeling so busy or overwhelmed? Let us know your ideas in the comment section below!
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What a great reminder to slow down and enjoy life. Sometimes I get so busy doing the things that need to be done to keep my life moving forward I forget to sit down and just enjoy. Tonight my family skipped TV and just sat and talked. It was amazing. I love listening to what happened with my family when I wasn’t with them. Another great post!