The Western World is busy. We all go from task to task, delivering the best we can in the time we have available. The ‘busy disease’ has reached epidemic proportions. The very word ‘busy’ is beginning to take over so much head space that there’s little left for actually accomplishing anything, and when we do, we don’t have the time to enjoy it. In fact, it has become part of our everyday language:
“How are you?” “I’m ridiculously busy!” this is usually followed by a stream of things to be done. Then, so as not to be seen to be lacking in the ‘busy’ department, the reply to this is typically “Tell me about it, I am so manic, I am exhausted and it’s only Monday. Heaven knows how I will be by the weekend!”
When asked ‘How are you?’ What is your usual reply? If it is ‘busy’ or ‘stressed’ or ‘tired’ or similar, then you too are suffering from the ‘busy disease’, the addiction that has spread through the workplace and somehow leaked out into our home lives too. The stock offering we have conditioned ourselves to say in order to demonstrate somehow that we are earning our place in this world. The problem is that if left unchecked, it will eventually affect your health.
If you have the ‘busy disease’ and want to create more joy and wellbeing in your life, my tip is to start small. Rather than trying to be less ‘busy’ – let’s face it, that’s not going to happen over night. Start instead simply by changing your language. When someone asks you how you are, give them your full attention, look them in the eyes and say, “I feel wonderful today! How are you?”
This breaks the ‘busy’ competition – after all, is being ‘busy’ really an award you want to be competing for? This statement that you feel wonderful simply breaks the pattern for both you and the other person. Like a small neurological shock – “Really? You feel wonderful?! There’s so much to do, yet you feel wonderful? Wow! I’d like to feel wonderful too!” Isn’t it true that we accomplish so much more when we feel great? There is clear scientific proof that our brain will believe what we tell it, so if Wonderful feels better than Busy why not go there instead?
“How are you?” “I’m ridiculously busy!” this is usually followed by a stream of things to be done. Then, so as not to be seen to be lacking in the ‘busy’ department, the reply to this is typically “Tell me about it, I am so manic, I am exhausted and it’s only Monday. Heaven knows how I will be by the weekend!”
When asked ‘How are you?’ What is your usual reply? If it is ‘busy’ or ‘stressed’ or ‘tired’ or similar, then you too are suffering from the ‘busy disease’, the addiction that has spread through the workplace and somehow leaked out into our home lives too. The stock offering we have conditioned ourselves to say in order to demonstrate somehow that we are earning our place in this world. The problem is that if left unchecked, it will eventually affect your health.
If you have the ‘busy disease’ and want to create more joy and wellbeing in your life, my tip is to start small. Rather than trying to be less ‘busy’ – let’s face it, that’s not going to happen over night. Start instead simply by changing your language. When someone asks you how you are, give them your full attention, look them in the eyes and say, “I feel wonderful today! How are you?”
This breaks the ‘busy’ competition – after all, is being ‘busy’ really an award you want to be competing for? This statement that you feel wonderful simply breaks the pattern for both you and the other person. Like a small neurological shock – “Really? You feel wonderful?! There’s so much to do, yet you feel wonderful? Wow! I’d like to feel wonderful too!” Isn’t it true that we accomplish so much more when we feel great? There is clear scientific proof that our brain will believe what we tell it, so if Wonderful feels better than Busy why not go there instead?
Try it for a couple of weeks and simply watch the results.