How to stop feeling overwhelmed and busy
Have you ever stopped to think why being constantly busy feels so satisfying? It's like wearing a badge of honour - a symbol that you're achieving something significant. Yet, often, this badge represents activity, and probably fatigue but NOT necessarily productivity.
So, how can you stop feeling overwhelmed and busy? AND how you can shift towards more meaningful achievements?
When overwhelm and busyness becomes your identity
Busyness has a strange way of becoming a core part of identity. Admitting you're 'so busy' isn't just an update for curious friends; it's a proclamation that you're in demand, involved, and indispensable.
This identity can make it challenging to slow down without feeling unproductive or guilty. But here’s the twist: Being constantly busy can distract you from your real goals and push you closer to burnout.
Awareness: The First Step to Change
The words you use and the narratives you create about your busyness shape your reality. By becoming more aware of how you describe your workday, you can start making impactful changes.
Instead of saying "I need to," try "I choose to." This subtle shift can empower you and transform how you engage with your tasks. It’s about owning your decisions and aligning them more closely with your business goals.
Moving Beyond Mere Busyness
It’s crucial to differentiate between being busy and being productive. Activity for activity sake, can fill your day and leave you feeling exhausted, stressed and burnt-out. While making the shift to productivity can mean doing less but with greater impact. Here are some strategies to help move you towards true productivity:
Align Your Actions: Ensure that your daily tasks align with your broader business goals. This alignment helps in making sure that your efforts are not just busy work but are building towards something bigger. A great question to ask here yourself before you take action is ‘What is the result I want to achieve?’
Embrace strategic planning: Spend time planning and strategising rather than just executing. This shift can help move you away from the haphazard busyness, and get you focused on the outcomes that contribute directly to movement towards those end goals.
Set boundaries: Learning to say no is vital. It helps in managing your workload, adhering to your schedule, and keeps you focussed.
Incorporate mindfulness: Regular mindfulness practice can improve your focus and reduce stress, helping you to get more done in your day.
Challenge:
This week, take a moment to assess your tasks. Are you busy with purpose, or just busy? Reflect on what changes you can make to ensure your activities are genuinely productive and aligned with your long-term goals.
By redefining what productivity means in your business, you can transform how you work and lead. It’s not about how many tasks you complete, but the impact each task has on your business’s growth and your personal satisfaction.
Hopefully by now I’ve convinced you to throw away your busy badge, to stop feeling overwhelmed and busy and settle for a more relaxed way of moving towards your goals. If you would like more support with getting control of your time book a call with me to chat about how I can help you.