Overwhelmed or 'Good Busy'?
...When can we be content in our busyness, and when is it all too much?
When I start working with clients they are often so busy that they are completely overwhelmed and exhausted.
After a few sessions I ask how their week has been and they respond ‘good busy’.
The interesting thing here is that the amount of things they are doing in the day/week/month hasn’t necessarily changed. So what has?
Before I continue I will point out that some weeks are simply busier than others. Sometimes a deadline approaches and we need to dedicated more time and more energy to something. Sometimes several things happen all at once and they all require our attention. However, the practicality of being busier we can usually handle quite well.
It’s arguably the things surrounding our to do lists and responsibilities that tip us into overwhelm…
When we are overwhelmed with busyness:
We are constantly living in the future, thinking about what’s next, what might happen, what if…
We are consumed by what we should do, perhaps what everyone else needs or wants from us
We don’t believe we can rest
We worry that we can’t live up to the expectations we set for ourselves
We are striving for perfection
We struggle to find any joy in what we’re doing
When we are 'Good Busy':
We are in the present
What we are doing aligns with what is important to us
We can find joy in what we do
We allow ourselves to embrace rest as something equally productive
We can set boundaries around our time and energy
We have confidence in our ability, and know our worth
And I will end on this... Your busyness is not your worth.