On Being Busy

Some People Do Not Thrive in a Fast-Paced Environment – It’s Me, I’m People!

Ever go to a job interview and the interviewer asks whether you have what it takes to thrive in a fast-paced environment, and you hold yourself back from screaming, “No, I very much DO NOT!”? Yeah, me too.

I should clarify, it’s not that I don’t have what it takes to thrive – I just don’t want to.

In a world swarming with messages to do more, reach further, make more money, the pressure to constantly be productive can feel overwhelming. Often, if I find myself without a task in front of me, I create one! There’s this guilt that if I’m not doing something then when life doesn’t go well sometimes, it’s my fault – I didn’t do all I could have done or try hard enough.

Many of us are caught in a never-ending cycle of busyness. We’ve normalised that drained feeling that consumes us by the end of the work week. So, what was my “aha!” moment? When even the weekends felt draining. I had slipped into a constant state of tiredness. This, I decided, was not for me.

The Culture of Busyness

Being constantly “busy” can be seen as a status symbol. It’s in the movies, it’s in books, it’s in the videos of how to get up at 5am and “get more time” out of your day. According to these portrayals – the people that go far in life are BUSY.

People that aren’t doing THE MOST, are seen as lazy, a burden or complicit in their own mediocrity.

Well, sign me up for Club Mediocre!

The culture of busyness often leads to stress, burnout, and feelings of inadequacy. More and more studies are being done about the profound ways chronic stress affects the body. 

Harvard Health suggests that, “Over time, repeated activation of the stress response takes a toll on the body. Research suggests that chronic stress contributes to high blood pressure, promotes the formation of artery-clogging deposits, and causes brain changes that may contribute to anxiety, depression, and addiction. More preliminary research suggests that chronic stress may also contribute to obesity, both through direct mechanisms (causing people to eat more) or indirectly (decreasing sleep and exercise).”

Basically, being consistently busy can make you physically and mentally unwell. While at times we can’t avoid it, we have to be mindful of patterns that may have formed as a result of frequent practice.

Embracing Slowness

In my attempt to slow down and re-evaluate my behaviours, I realised that it was a pretty hard habit to shake!

The toughest part was the guilt and the feeling that I was putting my goals at risk. Redefining success is step one. Success looks different to everyone. Often, we can be busy but aren’t necessarily being productive. Performing tasks can be deceptive and lead us to equate our actions to making progress but in fact, we’re probably lacking efficiency and not contributing to a greater goal at all.

For example at work, I’ve realised that I experience spikes in my energy throughout the day that allow me to do large amounts of work in a short space of time. During dips where I feel low energy, I do something that requires less from me but gives me joy, like reading a book, taking a walk or doing absolutely nothing at all.

If I try to spread my work out through the entire day and push through my energy dips, it leaves me feeling drained because I haven’t been working in a way that honours how my body and brain functions. When I listen to my body and I work in a way it functions best, I can do better quality work and get the chance to do things I enjoy.

Rest and restorative activities can help cognitive performance and boost creativity, as well as contribute to overall health and happiness.

In this way, I’ve decided that my success looks like prioritizing my wellbeing to allow myself to better achieve my goals and enjoy them once I have. 

Setting Boundaries

Sometimes things are out of our control, and slowing down is a privilege. We may have obligations that have severe consequences should we deny them. In cases like this, setting boundaries is important.

At times we can get so caught up in meeting our obligations that we don’t realise we can draw the line somewhere or we can ask for help.

I’ve implemented small but meaningful changes to my routine that help when things are out of my control, for example I journal regularly – it allows me to find some quiet and check in with myself if only for a few minutes each day. I also plan or prioritise my tasks for the day so I can identify opportunities for me to slow down – sometimes rest has to be planned.

And don’t forget, sometimes you have to set boundaries with yourself. Sometimes I use my pockets of free time to mindlessly scroll on social media and I feel even more drained or stressed after that because of overstimulation or because I feel like I haven’t used my time well. This is something I have to be mindful of and enforce a manageable limit on behaviours that oppose my effort to find calm or fulfillment.

Mindfulness and Stress Management

Being mindful is the practice of observing and/or understanding the present moment. At times it could be hard to come down from the tense energy a stressful day can invoke, and I’ve found that practicing mindfulness helps me separate the events of the day and move into a state of relaxation. This can look like journaling as mentioned before, or just sitting in silence and doing some breathing exercises. It can look like a more intense meditation practice if that’s something you’re up for exploring.

A practice of small exercises in mindfulness daily can help us develop mindfulness in a broader sense as well. I’ve found that I can now identify when I feel stressed and what has triggered that feeling rather than allowing it to go unnoticed and thus unchecked.

In conclusion, remember that it’s okay to not thrive in a fast-paced life. By acknowledging our limits and embracing a slower pace, we can cultivate a greater sense of well-being and fulfillment. By defining your own idea of success, understanding your needs, setting boundaries, and practicing mindfulness, we can create a life that is authentic to us and aligns with our values. Remember, it’s not about keeping up with the pace of the world, but rather finding your own rhythm and thriving on your own terms.

Sources: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response

Follow https://medium.com/@shal.jabar to see more from Shalini Jabar.