How to feel less busy, even when you’re not.
Sometimes our schedules simply get away from us. No matter what great intentions we had when we laid out our plans, often the reality of those plans is not as we expected. We’re so darn busy all the time!! Although we often can’t actually BE less busy, I have some great ways for you to FEEL less busy.
Take care of the minutes, and the hours will take care of themselves.
– Earl of Chesterfield
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GET BUSY, BUSY BEE
My 4yo is in swim class right now. Her classes are 4 days a week, and they are right during my baby’s nap time. So basically that means the house is a wreck, I’m never sure what’s for dinner, and I’m feeling frazzled. Luckily, the classes are only 3 weeks long, so the end is near. And of course they’re totally worth it!
I find in my life these days there is never a time when I feel less busy. There are only times when I feel more busy. The more scheduled I am, the more busy I feel. I find myself looking back to months prior when I felt sooooo busy and realizing that was nothing and I should have been enjoying it! Isn’t perspective amazing?
PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING
Let’s take that same perspective and make it work for us! I have some tips below that will help you to feel less busy, even when you can’t actually BE less busy.
HOW TO FEEL LESS BUSY
1. CONSOLIDATE YOUR SCHEDULE
When we have somewhere to be, it can break our day up in a way that doesn’t let it flow naturally. Much of our day can be spent anticipating or getting ready for where we need to be. If we have multiple destinations (such as sports, classes, etc.) multiple days a week, it can make us feel very busy. If at all possible, consolidate the days you have to run around to as few days as possible.
It may feel like a lot running from dance class for one kid to baseball for another, but the extra running around is easier than getting everyone ready and in the car TWICE. It also allows for more days when we’re not on a tight schedule. This is a great way to feel less busy.
2. WRITE IT DOWN
This goes for both your actual schedule, and your to-do list. When we are holding everything in our mind it begins to feel full and overwhelmed. If we write things down regularly then we can unload them from our minds. This makes our thoughts less busy, which in turn makes us feel less busy overall. However, don’t make the mistake of going overboard with too many details on your calendar, because then it will become overwhelming to look at. You want your calendar to look simple, neat and clean.
3. BE EARLY
There’s nothing worse for my emotional state than rushing to get somewhere. I do not like to be late. Rushing adds stress! Now that I’m a momma of 2 I do tend to run late, and it unsettles me. If you can get somewhere a little early you’ll feel like you have plenty of time. That’s a great feeling to have, even if you have to arrange it artificially by leaving your house earlier than you normally would.
Have some ideas on hand that you can look forward to doing in the car if you arrive early enough that you actually have time to kill. Podcasts (including stories read aloud), audio books, verbal games, or ways to be productive such as on your phone are all things you may consider.
If you’re alone (maybe because you’re picking a child up from something) I encourage you to meditate. I’ve found even 3 minutes a day can make a shift in my life. That brings me to my next point.
4. LEARN TO SIT WITH YOUR OWN THOUGHTS
Sometimes my brain is going a million miles an hour. Making a list can often help, but sometimes it isn’t so much of a to-do list, but a constant analysis of things going on in there. I often get to a point where I’m afraid to sit quietly with my own thoughts, and instead find things to do, read, listen to, etc. to block those thoughts out.
When you learn to sit with your thoughts, you learn how to still your mind. Stilling your mind can make you feel much less busy, because you can live IN THE MOMENT you’re currently in. No matter where you just came from or what you need to do before bedtime, if you are truly present in the current moment there’s normally not all that much going on. It’s peaceful. Until your mind starts up again.
Meditation helps with that. It teaches me how to calmly let all the thoughts go and just be. Honestly, I don’t meditate all that often. I find myself coming back to it in times of desperation. I find great benefit to it! And then things get easier and I stop making the time. But I keep coming back to it. When I do it regularly it has the most positive impact on my life.
5. WORK IN BLOCKS
Working in blocks is setting aside a chunk of time, and dedicating it to a task. You can break them up however you want. Here are some I like to have:
Morning block (from wake up through breakfast and until around 11:30)
Lunch block (11:30 – whenever we finish lunch)
Afternoon/nap time block
Dinner prep & dinnertime block
Bedtime block
Adult productivity block (from when the kids go to bed until around 10:30pm)
My time block (from 10:30 until I go to bed. This is my time to unwind)
However you want to break it up, you can assign a theme or task to any given block. I like to have the same themes or tasks for each block everyday. That way I’m not wondering what I’m supposed to be doing. When that block or time slot is over, make sure you leave that task behind both mentally and physically. It’s time to move on to the next thing with a clean slate.
Working in blocks like this allows you to give more attention to tasks (and show your children more undivided attention when it’s a block about them). It also prevents you from being so scattered and trying to do 5 things at once. Working on a single task at a time certainly makes me feel less busy.
6. PREP THE NIGHT BEFORE
Mornings are usually more chaotic than other times of the day. Especially when you’re trying to get out the door with little ones! If you can have whatever you need to bring with you that day already prepped, you will feel much more relaxed. You won’t have to spend your morning running around in a state of panic trying to find somebody’s missing shoe or the rest of that baseball uniform. Lay out the clothes. Pack snacks and lunches. Put all the crap you need to bring with you in THIS large tote like I do! Then in the morning, just put the whole thing in the car. The peace of mind this tote brings me is irreplaceable. Prep as much as you can the night before. Having a less stressful morning will make you feel so much less busy!
I hope these tips will help you feel less busy! I know they really help me when I can’t catch a break.
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PIN IT FOR LATER
Thanks for stopping by!!
XO,
Morgan
The Cheeky Homemaker
I totally need to take this advice!