I most recently read a couple articles regarding the business in our lives.  One was titled ‘Overwhelmed, 10 ways to feel less busy’ another ‘The ‘Busy’ Trap’.   Many articles tout how we as humans have began to wear how busy we are on or sleeves.  I’ll admit, I’ve done the same, just yesterday I was at lunch and told those I was having lunch with how crazy my daily schedule has become where some days I’m booked out from 6am to 8pm so any time available for future appointments had to be thought out meticulously to ensure I could accomplish all the tasks that I had.

As much as being busy makes us feel productive; important; needed; fulfilled, etc.  We, ok let’s be honest, mostly I, need to remind ourselves that how ‘busy‘ we are comes from our own actions.  We are busy because we ‘want to’, not because we ‘have to’.    As I’ve said in previous posts, The more ‘want tos’ we have, the more ‘have tos’ we will have to do to accomplish what we set out to do.

I’ve had this goal most recently to find simplicity in life; to not be so ‘busy’ (trust me, it’s more complicated than I imagined) and continue to seek out ways to UnPlug from the world, looking up instead of looking down, finding joy in each day that God has blessed me with.

Here are some things I’ve tried to do on a recurring basis (and will re-commit to doing) to UnPlug and feel less ‘busy’ and remind myself how I don’t ‘have to’ do everything that comes to me, it’s ok to say ‘no’ and do less not more:

• 10 min morning yoga stretching before picking up my phone
• No phones at the food table for any meal of the day
• 10 min power naps where you do nothing
• Go outside for a few minutes regardless of the weather
• No matter how busy you are Put your family first
• Set your phone to ‘do not disturb’ from 8 PM to 8 AM
• Completely, I mean completely, no text, no notifications, shut off all electronic devices on Sundays

There are other things I’m still working on and would totally like comments on what YOU do to work on being less busy.  It’s a life pursuit and we can achieve what may feel impossible.

So, one new thing I decided to commit this day, is to stand and respond to the world when asked ‘How are you?’, to not immediately respond with the default ‘Crazy Busy’, yet instead respond with a resounding ‘I’m great, Life is Good,’ or be honest and say how you really are, i.e. ‘I’m tired’ when you’re actually tired, ‘I’m down’ when you’re actually depressed, ‘I’m stressed’ when you’re actually dealing with something big.   Most of the time the reality is, Life Is Good, we have so much to be grateful for and the more we focus on what we already have vs what we have not, the more we will realize how blessed we are!  Yet at the same time, we are human, we make mistakes and need each other to get thru the down times of our lives.  Let others help you to help yourself.

Being less busy is the goal, reach for it and you will find it!  Your yin will become your yang.  Have fun and live life, it’s a good one!