Too busy or misguided priorities?

Someone once asked me, "What if we don’t have time to spend in reflection in the morning?"

My response was, "Everybody has time. The question is what are you willing to make time for?"

“Busy” has become the new “Fine.” As in, when you ask somebody how they are doing, they used to answer, “Fine.” But nowadays, most people answer, “Busy.”

Is the state of being busy really improving our lives and leading to more productivity? Statistics indicate that 75% of parents are too busy to read to their children at night. Indians are having a hard time finding opportunities for taking time away from work, especially given the uncertainty of COVID-19. 33% of Indians are living with extreme stress daily, and nearly 50% of Indians say they regularly lie awake at night because of stress.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Busy is not inevitable.

At the end of the day, it comes down to priorities. What’s important in your life?

I’m sure many people have time to update their social media status or scroll endlessly on various social feeds. People make time to talk with their friends or text back and forth endlessly.

It’s amazing how many times I hear people say to me, "I’m so busy. I have no time."

Yet, when your friend calls you up and says, "Hey, do you want to get together for coffee next week," you’ll say, "I can’t on Wednesday, but Thursday I have some time. Let’s have lunch." This is pandemic of course. You can set aside two hours for lunch with a friend but you are telling me you don’t have 5-minutes a day to spend in reflection by yourself.

Do you know how many five minute segments there are in two hours? Twenty-four. That means in a span of twenty-four days, you could spend five minutes each morning in reflection by yourself. You could say NO to the two-hour lunch with your friend and spend five minutes each morning reflecting on your life for twenty-four days instead.

To me, it comes down to priorities. What are the priorities in your life?

It’s not a privileged position. All of us are given twenty-fours in a day. Not a second more or less. It’s up to us what we do with it.

We find time and make time for what we want.

Here are some tips for becoming unbusy:

1. Realize that being busy is a choice - It is a decision we make. We are never forced into a lifestyle of busyness. The first and most important step to becoming less busy is to simply realize that our schedules are determined by us. We do have a choice in the matter. We don’t have to live busy lives.

2. Stop the glorification of busy - Busy, in and of itself, is not a badge of honor. In fact, directed at the wrong pursuits, it is actually a limiting factor to our full potential. It is okay to not be busy. Repeat this: It is okay to not be busy.

3. Appreciate and schedule rest - One of the reasons many of us keep busy schedules is we fail to recognize the value of rest. Especially as many families are still spending the majority of their time at home together, taking breaks may seem impossible. But rest is beneficial to our bodies, our minds, and our souls. Set aside one day per week for rest or meaningful time with loved ones. Intentionally schedule it on your calendar. Then, guard it at all costs.

4. Revisit your priorities - Become more intentional with your priorities and get support with how to effectively manage tasks. Busyness is, at its core, about misplaced priorities.

5. Own fewer possessions - The things we own take up far more time and mental energy than we realize. They need to be cleaned, organized, and maintained. And the more we own, the more time is required. Try going through your things every few months, or at least once in 2021. Own less stuff and find more time because of it.

6. Cultivate space in your daily routine - Take time for lunch. Find space in your morning to sit quietly before starting your day. Invest in solitude, meditation, or yoga. Find opportunities for breaks at work in between projects. Taking moments for yourself is important and can greatly benefit your mental health.

7. Find freedom in the word, “no.” - Recognize the inherent value in the word “no.” Learning to say “no” to less important commitments opens your life to pursue the most important ones.

So, what are you willing to make time for?

Always be in Peace

Swami Sandeepani

Sumarti Ashram