It’s time to build a healthy relationship with busyness in your work and life.
In a technology-ridden world with a social bias toward action, especially in the workplace, it’s easy to get addicted to being busy. Our culture invariably assumes that action, speed and accomplishment are better than rest and that doing something — anything — is better than doing nothing.
Because of our desire for success and to be productive, many of us don’t really rest. It’s quite possible that in rushing to meet so many deadlines, we fail to recognize that what we need most are lifelines.
The author Wayne Muller suggests that “Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the compass points that would show us where to go. We bypass the nourishment that would give us succor. We miss the quiet that would give us wisdom.”
In his mindful.org blog post, Rich Fernandez shares that “Science clearly tells us that being deliberate about managing busyness and balancing it with dedicated, unstructured downtime promotes greater energy, mental clarity, creativity and focus.” He adds that “Thriving in our life and work requires activity coupled with regular periods of rest and renewal.”
Responses
I really appreciate this post – especially in Vet School, it’s so easy to get caught up in everything that has to be done and not allow ourselves a day off. It’s so important to have an outlet and take time to rest and do things outside of work.
I agree with @RachelWechsler! I find myself constantly caught up in the checklists of everything I need to get done, both for school and personally and eventually I end up exhausted. This article reminds me of the importance of taking time to unwind and giving yourself some free time each day to do something that will relax you and reset your mood. Thank you!
I think this article definitely reminds us that through balance we can not only improve our work efficiency, we can help prevent burnout. Thank you!
“Acknowledge that busyness is not a sign of success” – wow, that one hit home because I’ve always felt like I need to stay busy in order to be successful. Time to change that mindset!