Is Busy a Choice?
Why do we glorify being busy? Here are 5 ways to choose otherwise.
by Michael James Wong
Busy doesn’t just happen to us; we give ourselves permission to be busy. We take on board, by choice, all the different things that we can often deem as the ‘busyness of our day’ and we allow them to stack up. Oftentimes, we let it overwhelm us.
We often glorify being busy, wear it like a badge of honour, consider it the norm. We often led to believe it is the status quo.
I, however, don’t think it needs to be. Busy, for a lot of us, is really a choice.
When we allow the actions of our day to stack up without realising and add unnecessarily to our list of things to do that day, we are stimulated by obligation and ultimately what it does is it deprioritises the present. How often do you catch yourself focusing on what’s next, what’s coming in the future? Me too, it’s so easy to do.
So to try and bring ourselves back from a place of chaos, here are 5 ways you can choose something other than busy.
1. Techless breakfast
Take a few extra minutes to sit down with your breakfast, ideally with no phones or laptops nearby. That way, you’ll be less tempted to work while you eat. Sitting down to eat gives you the opportunity to focus and really enjoy what you’re putting in your body.
“We need to remember that saying no is okay - in fact, saying no is probably the most compassionate thing to do.”
2. Say no
I think we’ve all been in those situations where we’ve agreed to a dinner, event or social obligation where you really just don’t want to go, or you are far too overstretched energetically to really enjoy it.
It’s in these moments where we need to remember that saying no is okay - in fact, saying no is probably the most compassionate thing to do. Not only will you be prioritising your health and wellbeing, but you’ll be showing up in a more meaningful way for the things you do say yes to.
3. Do something mindfully
If your day starts to get overwhelming and you feel like you’re running around like a headless chicken, take a moment to stop and bring yourself back to the present moment. Mindful practices are great for this, and they don’t have to take up lots of time. It could be as simple as brewing a cup of tea and drinking it slowly with no distractions, or you could do some drawing.
Whatever suits you, lean into that. If you’re looking for something specific check out the Just Breathe App, each day we share a new meditation or mindful practice for you to try.
4. Take 3 things off your to-do list
Once you feel a little calmer about your day ahead, can you go back to your to-do list and pick 3 things that you don’t need to necessarily do today? Sometimes we try to cram as much as possible into every day, but realistically some things can wait. Taking 3 things off your to-list might just be the thing to free up some space for you to focus on what’s more meaningful.
5. Take a 2 minute breath break
You may not have heaps of time each day to slow down, but what you can do is take 2 minutes to just breathe. If possible, find a quiet spot, close your eyes and start to tune into your breath. If you prefer to be guided through this, you can check out our guided meditation app where you can pick between 2, 8 and 20 minute meditations depending on how much time you have.
Let’s start to stand our ground a little more and be less ‘busy’ all the time.
MICH
aEL j
ames wong
Michael is a community activist, writer, educator and meditation teacher, he is regarded as a leading voice in the global movement for modern mindfulness. Born in Wellington, New Zealand, raised in Los Angeles, California and is now living in London, his greatest joy in life is building and celebrating strong and meaningful communities. Michael is also the Founder of Just Breathe.
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