It seems as though everyone is busy these days. We rush around from place to place at a relentless wearying pace. For me, the past couple of weeks have been particularly full with deadline after deadline to meet. I still have 4000 words to write by next week but I have managed to get through the busy report writing season at work so now feel I can breathe just a little easier.
Sometimes when demands on our time get intense, it is easy to feel overwhelmed but I have found that taking it just one step at a time is the way forward. Instead of sitting and worrying about how much there is to be done, do something, anything, to move you towards the goal that needs to be accomplished.
As the busy seasons in life pass away, as they always do, I am always amazed at what I have managed to get through. When you are in the midst of the busy-ness it can be hard to remember that it will pass, but it will. This is the first piece of advice I would give to anybody else who has a natural tendency to feel like a hamster frenetically running and running and running. It will pass.
Some other tips that I have found really helpful for navigating those busy, relentless, stressful chunks of time are:
- Take three deep breaths- when I feel overwhelmed this never fails to calm me down.
- Focus for short bursts- if you have a ton to do, dedicate 20 minutes of time with no distractions to your task. Often after 20 minutes it will be easier to continue, but in any case 20 minutes is long enough to accomplish a lot if you can block out distractions and really focus.
- Treat yourself – when us girls are busy, the first thing we tend to do is neglect ourselves when in fact we should be treating ourselves…Treat yourself with kindness and respect. Be your own biggest cheerleader. Remind yourself of all you are capable of and all you have achieved so far. Oh and an actual treat can be great too – my favourite treat when I am stressed and busy is a caramel macchiato 😊
- Get up a bit earlier – I always get up early when I am busy. Sometimes I spend time working but more often than not I just spend an hour relaxing and letting myself just be. It really calms me and stops me from having that panicked feeling when I wake up and remember all that needs to be done, as this block of time gives me a sense that I have all the time in the world at my fingertips. There is no need to rush to do anything at 5:10 am!
If you try any of these tips, let me know how it goes or if you have any other tips to recommend that help you navigate the busy-ness post a comment below!
Breadthoflife 