TOO MUCH TO BUSY BRIGADE

The ‘much too busy brigade’

How to become ‘unbusy’

Are you one of those rather annoying people that are always saying ‘I’m too busy’ and are you too busy to pay attention to anything, including friendships? Are you dashing everywhere? Do you meet yourself coming backwards? Are you tired, frazzled and more than a bit spent physically, emotionally and mentally? Do you feel like you are failing and falling, all at the same time? Are you ready for change? Yes? Cool! You can absolutely do this.

There has been a toxic culture of ‘busyness’ seeping into every area of our lives, especially pre-pandemic. If you aren’t busy, who even are you? You can’t possibly be successful…can you?

Successful people work out quite quickly, how to slow it all down, to make sure mistakes aren’t made. They do it small and they do it well. They also think a lot before taking affirmative action, ensuring that the amount of work they do is actually needed. They organise and prioritise well and of course they delegate! ‘They’ in terms of the office, aren’t frightened of recognising talent and mentoring it accordingly. Rarely was there ever a successful brand that was about one person only. Isn’t that the truth?

We can take a lot of how we function at work, back to our homes to ensure we grab back a lot of wasted time and energy in being ‘busy’. Lets face it, being ‘too busy’ actually causes a lot of anxiety and sucks the life out of you and yours big time. So how do we become ‘unbusy’?

Of course, taking control of your life after making it so busy, means you kinda have to reset the clock, start small. Organisation is the key to becoming ‘unbusy’. Set parameters around your working day. We all know that work can spill into our home life and it’s not good. Set those working hours and stick to them. If it’s not a working emergency, why are you doing extra hours?

• Let some things go • Switch off work calls and emails • Limit social media time • Introduce moments of calm • Don’t fill every day and every weekend • Re-think your to-do list • Set parameters around your work day • Schedule ‘down time’ • Say no • Plan your chores • Share chores

• Take time to think how saying yes to a request will affect you • Get up an hour earlier to rest • Don’t take on more than you can cope with • Plan your day • Take your lunch break • Don’t work for free • Don’t be a home martyr – don’t do it all • Get other members of your family to plan • Bulk cook and shop • Make the kids, from 3 years old, do ageappropriate chores

• Get outdoors • Schedule friend time • Schedule ‘you’ time • Cut your spending • Cut things out of your life that are stressful and or pointless, and that includes people • Slow everything down • Use a home and work planner • Cut down time spent in the car • Work from home • Share car-pool and after-school clubs with other parents • Consider part time work • Downsize your home • Sell things you don’t need or use • De-clutter • Go to bed early • Buy a slow cooker • Make it a family affair • Don’t join clubs you don’t have time for • Get older kids to take their driving test • Be aware of people that expect you to make time for them on a whim, but who won’t make time for you, or the chores! Busy people can end up in a complete mess and they rarely enjoy life. Let’s face it people, life is for living! Live your life well and be kind to yourself. Enjoy becoming wonderfully ‘unbusy’!

Donna