Why staying ‘busy’ is hurting you (and those you care about)

Well, I’m still not 100% from last week’s cold, but I am on the mend. 

I was able to use that time to really unplug and prioritize rest and healing my body, in that stillness I had a lot of time to think and connect with myself. 

How often do you take time to slow down, to pause, and to connect with yourself?  

I’m sure that you are busy and have a lot going on in your professional and personal life. Chances are you are pouring into everyone else and saying “Yes” to things that are adding more to your plate. 

 And typically, the only time that you really get a chance to rest is when you get sick. I’ve been challenging myself to prioritize slowness and stillness more and more because I realized that “being busy” was actually tied to a fear-based belief that kept me pushing through even when I knew that I should slow down, pause, or take a break. 

Here’s the thing…Your fear-based beliefs will create fear-based behaviors that will keep you stuck in a perpetual state of “busyness”, and that can lead to poor health, lack of fulfillment, and hinder your ability at achieving more success. 

Fear-Based Behavior #1: You fill your days so that you don’t have to deal with your own “stuff”. 

If you are running a mile a minute, you don’t have the time, space or capacity to truly connect with the areas in your life that need your attention. You can easily convince yourself that you are “fine” because you are able to achieve and accomplish so much under incredible loads of stress. While, yes, you are resilient, capable, and making amazing happen, however, you may be using “work” and “busyness” as a way to numb the inner calling to heal yourself, heal your relationships, and heal your body. 

Fear-Based Behavior #2: You fill your days so that you don’t have to engage with people on a deeper level 

For most people, we actually long to have deep and healthy connections with others, however, when you are so used to being the “Doer”, “Fixer”, “Strong One”, etc…it can be really hard to be vulnerable and to ask for help from others. It’s easier to fill your calendar with “important work” and put yourself in a position where you can control the outcomes (to the best of your abilities) than to put yourself in a position to “come undone” in front of others, which can make you feel that you are weak. 

Fear-Based Behavior #3: You fill your days so that you have an excuse when you let yourself or others down. 

This one was the hardest behavior for me to break, and I still struggle with this. I used to have the most unrealistic expectations for myself and I would take on more than I could handle because I didn’t want to let people down. I would say “yes” to things because I didn’t want people to judge me or think that I was incapable. And when I did drop the ball or underdeliver (after overpromising), I’d have the excuse that I was “so busy”. 

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If any of these behaviors resonate with you, the good news is that you are not alone. The even better news is that I’ve been there and I’ve been able to create the mindset and habit shifts needed to welcome in the rest and see it as a critical part of me being able to show up as the healthiest, happiest, and most fulfilled version of myself. And I’d love to help you do the same. 

I’m heading out of town for two weeks on a dream vacation, but when I’m back, I’m opening up spots for my Nourished Life Breakthrough Sessions. 

These 60-minute sessions are perfect to help you identify the patterns and beliefs that you contributing to you feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and on the brink of burnout. I will also take you through one of the most game-changing exercises that helps you gain true clarity on what you need and then I will share with you 3 personalized strategies that you can begin to implement immediately to optimize your health, happiness, and success. 

If this sounds like something that you need, then click here to book your session.