“How’ve you been?”
“Oh, you know, busy!”
You’ve heard it plenty of times. Maybe you’ve even said it yourself. Busyness is more than just a state of being for a lot of people. It’s a status symbol (being busy = being important), a cultural phenomenon, and for some, an entire way of life.
You may be thinking, well, what’s wrong with that? Is there anything inherently BAD about being busy all the time?
The reality is, there are a lot of consequences to our culture of busyness. Let’s take a look at some of those consequences.
Busyness vs. Connection
One of the first things that gets lost in busy culture is connection. And I don’t mean just one kind of connection. It can be connection to yourself, to other people, to your environment… even to food (that’s where we start seeing digestive issues come into play).
Think about what happens when you’re busy. Your mind becomes overwhelmed with those tasks and to-do’s on your list. There’s only so much space available, so anything that doesn’t pertain to the busyness will get lost.
That might mean you’re often forgetting to eat meals. This can in turn affect your digestive system, your blood sugar regulation, and even your levels of stress and anxiety.
It could also mean you’re letting important relationships fall by the wayside. When you lose connection with others, you can begin to feel isolated. We know that feelings of loneliness have a profound effect on mental health.
It could mean that you lose connection with yourself. You stop tuning into your needs and your desires, and all of a sudden you’re not living with intentionality. You’re moving through your life but you’re not really in the driver’s seat.
How to Disconnect from the Busyness
If you want to leave busy culture behind and start living a more connected, intentional life, you can’t leave it up to chance. Busyness will creep back in if you’re not careful. Here are some ideas for disconnecting from busy culture:
Leave white space in your schedule. If you schedule out every hour of every day, you’ll never give yourself time to rest and reconnect. Set aside time that isn’t dedicated to DOING anything.
Have a mindfulness practice. This might look like going for a walk, meditating or journaling. Find a way to incorporate mindfulness into your day, so you can truly step away from your tasks.
Get outside. Fresh air and connection to nature is essential to your overall wellbeing, and getting outside is a perfect change of pace when you need to escape the busyness.
Remember this: busyness is not a badge of honor. Your worth and importance are not derived from how busy you are. They are inherent within you.
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Disclaimer:
The content found on Integrative Counseling and Nutrition Consulting platform is not intended to be a substitute for professional therapeutic advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your psychiatrist, therapist or other qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a mental health condition.