Tuesday’s Tip: Busy or just filling time?

How often when people ask how you are, do you respond with ‘I’m so busy!’  I’m sure we have all answered this way many times.

This idea of ‘being so busy’ has come up several times for me over the last two weeks and I felt it was a sign to include this topic as part of our 31 days to Focus on You series.

The topic of ‘busyness’, was highlighted to me firstly,

• on a run with one of my Saturday Sisters, who was discussing an article she had read about a woman who was sick of being busy all the time and not achieving anything.  She actually became obsessed with the subject and changed her life for the better.
• I then came across an article  by Margaretha Montague from Equineguidedgrowth.com about ‘Stress Addiction’ . Margaretha runs workshops for stress management, mindfulness and meditation.  She writes about Stress Addiction:

This lifestyle seems now to have reached epidemic proportions. In an attempt to escape boredom and make themselves feel more important, people are getting addicted to stress

• An article in  Marie Claire called it The Busyness Epidemic

Busy or just filling time?

It appears that these days busyness is worn as a badge of honour but busyness does not mean we are being productive and in some cases it is a matter of just filling in time.  Some feel they are inadequate or boring if they don’t spend each day ‘chasing their tails’.

They feel the need to have every waking hour filled or sometimes double booked. They ‘scoff’ at the idea of ‘me time’ and seem to take pleasure in telling us how exhausted they are.

The sadness of this is that there is no quality of life, no time for reflection or gratitude. No time to take a break, rest and recover. This is unhealthy.

Good news!  Being busy can be healthy and give us a purpose.

For example, my MIL moved into an aged care facility in February.  Since then her life has changed dramatically for the better.  She attends all the activities and her days are full of purpose.  At 91 she is definitely happier now than for many years.

Before she moved her days were empty after the loss of her husband of 70 years.  She was declining and giving up on life.  Now we almost have to make an appointment to see her as her days are full and she is having fun.  It is such a joy to see her feeling this way.

I came across this quote which I think sums it up:

So next time you are busy – ask yourself am I being productive or am I just filling in time?

Let’s Keep Sizzling!ñ