Busy Busy

by Tash Hughes of Word Constructions

When is the last time you just sat and did nothing? Or watched a sunset in a quiet place? Or stopped and really listened to a piece of music?

Unfortunately, doing things like that is uncommon in our busy lives. There are so many things we believe we ‘need’ or ‘have’ to do that we don’t take time to recharge ourselves and just stop occasionally.

It’s not just at work that we are busy, either. Even our children are busy with various activities around school and homework, and then we also fit in physical activity and some sort of a social life.

But shouldn’t there be more to life than rushing around and doing things every second of the day?

Being overly busy results in us being tired and less creative, it keeps pumped up and without time to reduce the pressure. Business fills our minds and we get overwhelmed and lose track of where we are going as we are so caught up in the tasks at hand.

And all of that builds into stress. Sure, a bit of stress in our lives is healthy and keeps us to deadlines, but continuous stress is exhausting and unhealthy.

When we are stressed, we become focused on only a few aspects of our lives – whether it is finishing a project, earning more money or dealing with a difficult relationship. Being so focused makes it hard to see the wholeness of life, and this can also mean missed opportunities.

If your head is always down at the desk then you may not see the perfect answer walking past.  And it is hard to be creative and find alternative solutions when you are stressed and focussed.

Focussing too long and hard on one thing is likely to bring up negative feelings towards the issue and your life. Stepping back occasionally breaks that focus and has many benefits.

Would you ever drive your car for years without changing tyres, giving it a service or an oil change? What about an animal such as a horse – would you ride it all day without giving it a rest?

Think about star athletes for a moment. They train hard for hours every day, pushing themselves to the limits. But their training programs ease off as they get closer to a major sports event, and on the final day they are likely to do something very light and easy, not a hard training session. Why? They are letting their bodies have a rest so they will be at their peak during the event they have worked towards.

So if cars, horses and athletes deserve a break from busyness and stress, don’t you?

If you take a few small breaks in your day, and it can be five minutes of looking at a garden or listening to music, you may be surprised at how much more you can actually fit into your day anyway. The break will refresh and energise you, making the following tasks easier.

Busyness is a symptom of modern living, but you can control it so that stress isn’t a constant part of your life. Remember that you deserve to enjoy your life, too.

Tash Hughes is the owner of Word Constructions and assists businesses in preparing all written documentation and web site content. Tash also writes parenting and business articles for inclusion in newsletter and web sites.