3 Steps to Conquer The Busyness Curse

What is Busyness?

Being “busy” is something that often gets thrown around lightly – especially in the parenting world. How can you NOT be busy with little ones running your universe? The typical response to a casual, “How are you,” is – more casually – “busy.” But what does this really mean? Well, the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes “busyness” as:

” The state of having or being involved in many activities.  The state of having many details”

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The literal meaning is not intrinsically evil, by any means. But we use it to define our circumstances when “busyness” is actually deemed a quality or state. A quality or state of what? Of BEING. Your busyness is determined by your mindset, not your circumstances.

We feel “busy” when our mind is cluttered with activities and details. It is fully possible to be involved in “all the things,” without having your mind cluttered by them. But why does this matter? I got to thinking after stumbling upon this quote:

DAS DEEP. To break it down – when we need to feel significant, we (subconsciously) open our minds to all the things we need to do, goals we have accomplished and roles we have to play. All this stuff fills our mental capacity and our peace is lost. We feel stressed, overwhelmed, running on empty (because mentally we pretty much are).

When we realize we already are significant (because we were created in the image of God), “all the things” become stuff we do – not who we are. So they don’t clutter our minds – they don’t define us. All too often we let our need to create (artificial) significance for ourselves, take precedence over our peace. So how do we protect our peace?

3 Steps to conquer the busyness curse

 

1. Realize your choices demonstrate your priorities.

You have a finite amount of time. How are your choices to spend your your time affecting you and your relationships? Are you getting a lot done but annoyed at your spouse or kids? Do you have a lot of quiet time but the rest of the family has to pick up more slack? How are your choices demonstrating your priorities to those you do life with?

Practical Action: For a week or two, set up a mood tracker where you track the choices you make, how you spend your time, and the moods you’re in throughout the day. Can you draw lines between the choices and the resulting moods?

 

2. Always be aware of your inner dialogue.

Are your thoughts busy? Is it a constant battle for quiet time in your mind? Remember, you control your thoughts. They don’t control you. Not everything that comes to mind has to be there. Every thought is fighting for your mental real estate. Which ones do you think deserve to be there? Peace or busyness?

Practical Action: Keep a log, maybe in conjunction with your mood tracker from step #1, of the thoughts that go through your mind. Don’t feel like you have to write down them all – you wouldn’t look up from your notes app. Choose the ones that are most prominent – those that come with an urge to feel a certain way. Notice the patterns. Evaluate the triggers aka what happens to get you to think that way

 

3. Know that peace is a person, not a circumstance.

Perfect Peace is Jesus. He lived it, he is it, he wants us to have it. The feeling of peace apart from Him is counterfeit – short-lived & deceptive. Search after the real thing and you will find it, I promise.

Practical Action: Ask for peace from the person who embodies it. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing – Ask Jesus, the Prince of Peace, for what He died for you to have. And then believe.

Check out some of our other related articles:

Redefining “Having It All Together” & Why Social Media Is Not As Bad (Or As Good) As You Think It Is

Right there with ya,