Busy, busy, busy

Published 08/07/2021

The fabulous Blurt Foundation have come up with a cracker this week, all about being Busy, Busy, Busy

When you were younger and asked what you’d like to be when you grew up, we’re pretty darn certain these weren’t your answers:

Run ragged
Busy
Frazzled
Up to my eyeballs
Stressed
Burned the candle at both ends

And yet…

These are strange times we’ve been living in. Our working weeks haven’t changed since the Industrial Age. Our children have more school holidays than we do annual leave. Work seems busy, busy and there is an endless loop of doing, done, doing, done.

You only need to pick up social media for a nanosecond to see the achievements, the hustle, and to feel the bustle.

Busy isn’t beautiful.

It quite often masks low self-worth.
It usually numbs feelings we’re not willing to explore.
It rewards our output.
It’s unsustainable and unhealthy if it’s what we demand of ourselves, day-in and day-out.
It’s a toxic environment when it’s demanded of us day-in and day-out.

It can feel quite good at times though, right?

The nailing life.
The crossing off our to-do’s.
The thanks we’re on the receiving end of.
The praise.
The sense of achievement.
The feeling of making progress.

The trouble with ‘busy’ is that it can be intoxicating and hard to stop, especially if all of the nice stuff we feel about ourselves is wrapped up in it.

Sometimes stopping can feel like slamming the brakes onto a racing car as it’s driving full pelt, we don’t feel the benefit of it because we’re slipping and sliding to a standstill.

Learning to rest is one of the best gifts we can give ourselves. Not just because we’re on annual leave or sick leave, but in a steady, daily, consistent and constant way. It’s one of life’s ‘things’ – the more rest the more we’re at our best when we need to be (and no, you absolutely do not need to be at your best 24/7 – despite what your boss / children / society will have you believe).