Busy does not equal productive and it is not a badge of honour to proudly display. Yet, often when people ask, how is your day going? ‘Busy’ is the answer we give. That is not even answering the question posed, busy is not good or bad.
I have to admit, I have found myself at a lost end today, it a Sunday in lockdown and it is quiet. Most of the housework is done, I have done all the business tasks for the weekend, other than walking the dog and my yoga class, there is not much planned for the rest of the day. It is funny that when I realised there was not much to do, the first thing I did was think through the long list of household jobs that I just don’t ever get around to… the kids rooms need sorting out, there are pictures to be hung on the walls and the back hedge needs trimming. Why am I so conditioned to look for things to do and not think of what I could do to relax?
Instead, I could get to books by the side of my bed waiting to be read, the TV shows on Netflix I want to watch, or simply sitting in the sunshine watching the birds. However, these do not cross my mind because it is conditioned to be busy.
So many of the things that I busy myself are definitely not urgent, many are unimportant, yet they satisfy my need to feel busy.
I have learnt the hard way that burning myself out does not end well. My body gives me strong signals when it has had enough. Yet, I often wait for the pain in my back or for my blood sugar to plunge to force me to sit and relax.
I am trying hard to change this habit and it will take time to break as it is deeply ingrained behaviour. However, I am committed to devoting more time to rest and to myself. The irony is that in times of quiet and rest is when I get inspired and it is how I create energy for the things I love.
So I challenge you, don’t wait for your body to tell you that it is burnt out and needs to rest. Make time to rest and to do the things you find relaxing. And next time someone asks how your day is, answer ‘it is good/great/fun’, not ‘it is busy’.
Xo
Jo