Is busy your default mode of operation?

Are you constantly trying to 'do more' or feeling like you're  'never enough?' (or never doing enough)?

Often as women we're often trying to squeeze so much in to our days, multitasking and ticking off tasks on the mental to-do list that we forget to stop and reflect on what we have already done!

I catch myself out with this on occasion, if I've done everything that I set out to do, rather than taking the time to feel pleased that I've done all that I wanted or needed to do and then giving myself some space to just stop or relax, I'll be thinking of what else I can squeeze in before kids get home etc.

Can you relate?

Remember to regularly pause and reflect on all that you have done or are doing rather than on all that you're not!

And next time you do manage to accomplish everything (or the main priorities) on your to-do list rather than trying to squeeze in more, why not stop and give yourself some breathing space?

Notice also your automatic response when someone asks you how you are- do you usually answer 'busy' without actually thinking about it?

Practice intentionally answering with something other than busy!

Why?

The more we tell ourselves and others we're busy and the more we focus on feeling busy, the more overwhelmed and perpetually caught up in busyness you'll feel.

Many of us are busy and I'm not suggesting that you have to pretend otherwise, but just notice the common tendency that we all have these days to focus on how busy we are or to be regularly talking about how busy we are.

In fact, being busy is considered such a normal way of being these days, that sometimes we can feel like if we're not busy there's something wrong or we must be missing out on something!

Sometimes we're also so used to being busy that even if we're not actually busy we still feel like we are! -or that if we're not we should be!

It might not be the socially acceptable response but how could you respond differently next time someone asks you how you've been? And watch your self-talk, are you constantly thinking about how busy you are and that there is never enough time on the day to do it all?

Use this as your cue to pause, focus on your breath for a few moments and bring yourself back in to your body and to the present moment rather than being up in your head thinking about everything that you need to do!

We are actually more productive when we are grounded, present in our bodies and allow ourselves some time to pause- even if it's just a few moments..