In the 21st century we’ve all probably had to listen to people complaining on how “busy” they are. It’s become the default response when most are asked how they’re doing: “Busy!” “Real busy.” “So busy.” Not productive, not engaged, just busy, like there’s always something to be done or somewhere to go, a general sort of buzz of busyness. Usually by people whose complained busyness is completely self-imposed: work and obligations taken on voluntarily, classes and activities to participate in and etc. A culture of busyness because of our own ambition or drive or anxiety, because we are addicted to busyness and dread what we might have to face in its absence. Busyness is, obviously, a boast disguised as a complaint.
The present hysteria is not a necessary or inevitable condition of life; it’s something we’ve chosen. But is it good for us to be in this state of busyness, to be in that constant state of buzz, that we have so much to do we are not even fully engaged to what we’re doing. We often try to pack life with so much stuff to do that we stop actually living life a little bit, we stop enjoying what we’re doing right now in anticipation of what we have to, or want to do, next.
But if we actually take the time to slow down, we feel so much better. Even better yet, if we can prevent that state of busyness in the first place, our days will become smoother. We’ll become engaged more engaged in the present rather than being constantly on the move. Thus leading one to be more productive; more attentive to the people around us and be fully present with them – which indeed is one of the greatest gifts one can give to people, is being completely engaged and with them, not just physically present.
Life is good without the endless busyness, when the mind and body can stop buzzing with all that there is to do and settle into a quieter rhythm, a more peaceful rhythm, a humming that’s all our own, not the outside world’s cacophony.
More often than not, we don’t notice we need to take the time to slow down until we’re exhausted or our temper becomes short or our pain levels go up or our headaches come on or we start losing sleep or we just feel overwhelmed and buried beneath the weight of being too busy, having too much to do, having to always be on.
Sometimes we just need to be off. To reset, to check in with ourselves, to just be. The problem with being busy is that it makes us feel like we don’t have time for turning off, that we don’t have time for taking care of ourselves.
But we’re our best selves when we take care of ourselves, which in return allows us to be better in all aspects of our lives, from work to home to play. And it’s a misconception to think that being busy equals being productive, it’s often quite the opposite, resulting in doing a quantity with half a mind attention, rather than doing a few things with our whole attention, doing them well by being fully immersed in our activities, and actually enjoying them.
The things we slow down for are what we remember, our remarkable moments, that perhaps give meaning to our lives. It’s the things we slow down for that matter, that we’ll look back on some day with fondness, a smile, or perhaps tears .
So doing few things and making them count is more valuable than mindless packing our schedule with stuff to do, just for sake of doing stuff. Doing less attentively is much more prolific. It makes our actives more focused and enjoyable.
Make time to make time. Instead of attempting pack our schedule with mindless activities, why not try to make more available time. We need time to just break out of life for a bit so we can enjoy life, so we can examine our life, or perhaps figure out what life is all about. Which are all important question to ponder in order know ourselves and give meaning to our lives. And the more we do it the more we can filter out what truly matters and what doesn’t.
Most of us wish we had more time, but rather than make time for more time, we often make time for acquiring more things to do, filling up every last bit our precious time with unneeded activities. Time is our most valuable asset: time to experience the world around us, the people around us, the life around us. Time to learn. Time to just be, not just do. Time to be free, not chained to a screen or a social calendar.
Not to say, having a schedule is bad, or having various activists to do is inessential. They are indeed much needed to expand one’s horizon of life and can be a part of cherished life. It’s when our schedule is always crammed, when the job always follows us home at night, when there’s always a screen on, when there’s always a blinking light or notification that requires our attention, that we lose a bit of ourselves.
We could all benefit from slowing down, from not feeling the need to be so busy all the time, from being okay with taking a timeout, taking some time to relax, to disconnect from the world and reconnect with ourselves for a moment, to be present. To put away some of the should and replace them with some could — those things we could do if only all the other stuff were done. To wholly focus on the now – the sights, the sounds, the smells, the sensations, the emotions, the thoughts and the people.
The best investment of our limited time on earth is to spend it with people we love and doing what we love. I suppose it’s possible to lie on our deathbed regretting that we didn’t work harder and say everything I had to say, but I think what we really wish is that we could have one more beer with Zack, another long talk with Megan. And one last song to play, one more stroke of brush on a canvas, one last dance with our beloved, or one last poem to write. Life is too short to be busy.