Responding to Busyness

This has been quite a busy month in the Madden house, one that has created much fodder for this weekly blog. As it happens, you’ll be hearing more about it in the next few weeks, as I process all that has transpired. While this has kept me very busy, it’s also brought deep reflection and introspection.

So, in upcoming posts, you’ll be hearing about selling my home of 37 years, what I learned while working at a convention, the nourishment that was retreat, and moving to a new town after almost 50 years. Yes, all this in June.

This leads me to thoughts of busyness and change. I have never been one to shy away from either, however this month has certainly shown me that my response to both has changed. It’s my reminder that this whole mindfulness thing really does work!

Despite what has been written on the merits and traps of being busy, busyness in itself is neither inherently good nor bad. As with anything in life, it’s all about our relationship with busyness.

Whether you’re one of those that like to stay busy, or someone that gets overwhelmed by too much on your to-do list, it’s important to open up space in your life, set aside the doing, and just simply be. It’s good for your health – mentally, emotionally, and physically – and allows for the nourishment of a quiet mind.

If you find yourself always busy, you might want to look at the reasons. For instance, do you over-commit yourself? Why? Do you use busyness as a distraction from the hard, inner work? Do you feel more needed when you’re busy?

Maybe none of this is you, and you really are looking for ways to be less busy. For you, it’s important to remember that this busyness will pass, and you get to decide just how busy you are. Here are some tips:

Live mindfully – Present moment awareness means you focus on one task at a time. For more on this read my article “Is it Really Multitasking?”

Get organized – Keeping a daily to-do list will help you choose your priorities, and one of those priorities should be taking care of yourself. Include time for meditation, walking, being out in nature, reading, playing, and other ways you use to recharge.

Breathe – When you that feeling of overwhelm begins to arise, stop whatever you’re doing and do some breath awareness exercises. Box breathing always works for me – breathe in to a count of four, hold for a count of four, breathe out for a count of four, and hold for a count of four. A few cycles of box breathing and I can look at things with a new perspective.

Exercise – Exercise is the perfect antidote to stress and busyness. No need to go overboard making is something to add to the busyness. Just a half hour or so a day will help relieve stress and change your perspective.

Nature Therapy – A little forest bathing – connecting to nature with all your senses – will get your mind off of all the tasks you need to complete.

Turn off technology – Start with not looking at your phone for the first hour of your day and gradually build up to a tech-free day every week.

Life is all about balance, so along with that busyness, be sure to make room for mundane tasks and quiet reflection.

Speaking of busyness, it’s back to packing for me! Stay tuned for more about the move in an upcoming post.