It’s Time That We Debunk the Myth That Busy Is Better
Ways to increase productivity while finding your purpose
At the onset of the pandemic, I found myself with a lot of “free time.” I would usually spend this time doing random and mundane things, like scrolling mindlessly through social media or sitting in traffic. With the global pandemic aside, I also felt a sigh of relief for the first time in years.
This relief also came with the realization of just how much wasted time was in my day. This is time I could spend with loved ones, working on my goals, or resting and doing self-care.
Reclaiming Time During a Pandemic
I no longer have extra “time confetti,” all the small scraps of free time that I usually filled with answering emails, grabbing coffee, sitting in meetings, and commuting to work and school.
I was thankful to be able to breathe for the first time in years.
As I took the time to breathe and reflect, my mind would often drift back to my dreams of being a writer. Before I learned about Medium, I didn’t think I fit the mold of a writer. I didn’t spend years in journalism or intern with the most influential publications.
Through reflection, I found my inner writer ready to share my psychology expertise with the world. What about you? What dreams or goals do you have for yourself?
Is it being a better friend or family member? Practicing daily self-care? Setting boundaries? Starting that business that you’ve been thinking about? Finally getting those extra pounds off?
Whatever you want to do with your time, make it something that pours back into yourself. Without passion, fulfillment, and pleasure, life begins to lose its meaning.
Reclaiming your time can bring back meaning and purpose to your life.
Managing Your Time So It Doesn’t Manage You.
Here’s how to better manage your time and cultivate purpose to prevent “time confetti” from taking up all of your free time:
- Making appointments/events in your calendar and stick to it.
- Take 5 or 10 minutes of spare time to practice mindfulness or grounding exercises to become more present-minded and self-aware. Without awareness, how can we have purpose or self-direction?
- Writing things down in your to-do list to keep them from hanging out in my brain. This frees up cognitive load to focus on the tasks at hand. Cognitive load is the idea that our minds can only hold onto so much information. Trying to remember every task and detail may lead to overwhelm. Instead, jot down things that need to get done. You’ll be more stress-free because of it,
- Making time for self-care and things that spark joy. Self-care includes regular exercise, mindfulness, writing, hobbies, or eating more whole foods. Learn what brings a sense of balance to your life. When people stray from doing self-care, it’s easy to feel “off-balance.”
This article, in particular, hits close to home. I’ve always prided myself on being busy and proactive. While I’ve become successful in my career, I’ve also been burned out and resentful.
Being busy isn’t always being productive.
It’s time that we debunk the myth that busy is better and pour into ourselves.
Until next time,
— xo, Brittney
