posted by

reading time: 3 minutes

Raise your hand if you’ve ever forgone your personal happiness with the oh-so-classic justification, “I’m just too busy.” Chances are all of us have allowed ourselves to fall victim to this common misconception. Because sometimes, it just feels good to whine a bit and feel sorry for ourselves. Right? We work hard, juggle twenty things at once, and would like a bit of recognition.

What we must realize is that being “too busy” doesn’t exist. How you choose to spend your days is your prerogative. What you decide to do with your time simply points to your priorities.

If you’re ready to eliminate the overwhelm from your life, you’ll need to commit to shifting your focus a bit. Here’s how:

Realize it’s not okay

Although our friends, colleagues and the media promote the glorification of busy, we can choose to do life differently. The first step if to realize that being busy is not cool. Being busy doesn’t mean you’re more important. It doesn’t mean your life is more meaningful than the person sitting next to you. In fact, being “too busy” could mean that you’re having trouble defining your true self and sticking to your values.

Quit talking about it

The next time someone asks how you’re doing, try to refrain from a shallow response proving how overwhelmed you feel. Science confirms that the more we talk about how busy we are, the busier we feel. Instead, choose a response that points to your true values like family, passions and pursuits. Altering the way we think and talk about our time can completely transform the way we feel about it.

Put your phone down

The cold, hard truth is…you are not as busy as you think. Studies show that Americans have about 30-40 hours of free time per week. Perhaps we don’t even realize this due to our complete inability to stop multi-tasking. We’re all guilty of browsing Pinterest during movie night, texting while we eat dinner, checking email while we’re at the gym. While it’s easy to get sucked into the temptation, this multi-task mindset is causing us to lose control over our personal time.

Get comfortable saying “no”

Having a full calendar may boost your ego in the short-term, but it could seriously affect your health and happiness long-term. To regain control over how you spend your time, you’ll need to make some cuts. It can be helpful to keep a journal of how you use your time each week and reflect on what’s bringing you happiness versus stress. In the mean time, take some advice from Lady Gaga on how to say “no.”

Bottom line, you only have a finite number of days in this life. You are the boss of you. Don’t waste your precious time being the yes man (or woman).

What would you do if you weren’t “too busy?” Let’s start a discussion!