WHO’S BEEN FEELING BUSY LATELY?

By Debbie Kemp

I turn to my instincts when considering topics for this column, and this time I felt a strong urge to talk about busyness. I’ve certainly felt busy lately. Have you?

I turned to the dictionary as I waited for the flow to come, and it revealed that busyness is a state or condition of having a great deal to do. The context provided: “it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life”. It sure is!

But it’s not just that it’s easy to get caught up, is it?

It’s become a way of life… a societal culture that many of us subscribe to!

We work many, many hours, we commit to hours at the gym, we raise busy children whose lives we must facilitate, we have pets we must exercise, we have large or many social circles and many social events, we have hobbies and studies, some of us grow our own food and bake our own bread, and others squeeze in massages and beauty appointments, or wellbeing and specialist appointments.

And after all this, we still want some time for us, and some time to relax. So we schedule an early morning routine; a walk, some yoga, or journaling. We spend evenings on the lounge, reading or watching a series, and somewhere in the day, we plan lunches and coffee with friends.

All of that before we’ve even done the chores. The washing, the cleaning, the folding, the gardening, not to mention the administration that comes with life, from bills to registrations to licences to apps for all the things!

I still haven’t mentioned the side gig. Do you have one of those? So many people have a money making venture on the side these days. Some hope it’ll turn into something lucrative, and some are pursuing a passion that they may not see as an option for huge financial gain. Either way, it add to the busyness.

How much of this do you relate to? How much of it describes your life?

Debbie Kemp - Life Coach

eYs Magazine - Media Editor

Reading this now, are you realising why you feel so exhausted all the time?

Given that recommendations are that we sleep for 8-10 hours a day, that’s a lot to squeeze in to 14-16 hours!

There lays the next problem… so many people sacrificing their sleep hours to stay on top of everything else. This has the potential to create all sorts of health problems, which is a story in itself.

So… What do we do about this busyness?

It’s important to recognise that being busy is a choice. Sometimes it can feel like there is no choice, life is just busy. If this is how you feel, I encourage you to sit with the concept of everything being a choice. For example, choosing not to do anything about your busyness is the same thing as choosing for it to continue!

So once you accept that you are the creator of your own reality, you get to decide just how busy you’re willing to be.

I want to be clear, I’m not suggesting that it’s bad to be busy. In a business setting, it can be considered great to be busy, as busyness often translates to income and profit.

From a personal perspective, I suggest you judge your busyness based on how you feel. Are you busy but calm, grounded and present? Or are you frantic, rushed and overwhelmed?

If the latter is your reality, here are 5 tips to reclaiming some time to stop and smell the roses…

1. Take stock of ‘what is’. What are all the things that are keeping you busy? How important are these things to you and your family? Rank everything you do in priority order, and consider whether any ‘lower priorities’ can be removed from your list.

2. Schedule your time. If we don’t do some intentional scheduling, we can easily spend too much time on our low priorities, and accidentally leave ‘not enough time’ for our main priorities. Try taking a blank calendar and adding your schedule in order of priority. Then consider the time you spend doing certain things, and whether you can be faster or more productive. If not, can anything be delegated, eliminated, or postponed?

3. Reassess your situation. Reassess your current situation in relation to your dreams, goals, and ‘ideal’ situation. Would a career change be helpful? Can you afford to hire someone to help with time consuming tasks, freeing you up for higher priorities? Can you simply let go of some of the pressure you’re placing on yourself?

4. Set Boundaries. No-one has more clarity than you do regarding what you want for your life and what that looks like. If you’re not clear, take some time to get clear. When you are clear, make choices that create the life you dream of, and set boundaries for yourself and others, so that you have the time and space to make it happen.

5. Practice presence and mindfulness. Sometimes a change in mindset is all that is needed for someone to have a different experience. Being present can stop the mind from rushing, and the practice of meditation or mindfulness can create enough peace in the body to mitigate some stress.

Try these things above for a period of time and observe the difference. Share the changes you notice in yourself with those around you. The more that people understand that we control our reality and our destiny, the more empowered they will be to make meaningful changes to their schedule and life.