What comes to mind when you think of the word busy? Is it negative? Positive?
I have read many blogs and articles on the negative views on being busy, about people using it as a badge of honour, about being ‘busy’ being used as an excuse, and about the downside of a busy lifestyle.
But today I want to challenge you about your idea of what busy means. What would you think if I told you that the meaning of busy is actually, ‘having a great deal to do?’ It doesn’t say anything about having a great deal of draining things to do, it's purely about having a lot to do. It is a state of being where most of the time in our day is allocated to different things.
Here is when it gets important, because, of course, we can be busy with things that are draining, but we can also be busy with things that are awesome and refreshing.
Say I get up and get the kids ready for school, I make breakfast, lunches, I hang the washing. Once the kids are gone, I get into my workout gear and go and do a kickboxing class (best exercise and always makes me feel empowered - come at me!).
After class I grab a coffee with some friends, head home, do a couple of hours of work, make sure I grab 30 mins in the hammock with my favourite book and then get ready for school pick up.
The afternoon consists of after school activities, wrangling the hesitant child to do their homework, managing everyone’s after school emotions, refereeing arguments, cooking dinner, cleaning up - the usual things you do as a mum of 4.
Once bedtime is done, I get a few more hours of work in, a glass of wine, and a quick episode of New Girl before I head to bed.
Don’t worry this is not an average day, some days are filled with way more work hours - but that’s balance right? Now when you look at this day, you would say I have a great deal to do. I have allocated all my time, whether it is the after-school activities, or the 30 mins in the hammock… I have a great deal to do, a day that is full of activities, spanning all the areas of my life.
So is busy a bad word?
Or maybe, is it actually about how busy makes you feel?
Because you can fill your day with a great deal of things. Things that drain you and things that refresh you. So perhaps it comes back down to balance. How balanced is your #mumlife?
Check out my quiz here, and share it with your friends or in my group Balanced Mum Life to keep the discussion real and honest about how we can have a more balanced life that keeps the chaos away!
Let’s be honest, our Mum life is not filled with all things awesome, we certainly have things we do that are draining, and that is the reality, not something to run away from, but to accept. Yes, I get over cooking dinner at times, I still feed my family. Coaching my kids through an argument does NOT invoke joy, but knowing that it is important for their future makes it worth it.
Busy can make you feel drained if your busy does not include times of refreshing, times of self-care, joyful family moments and times with friends.
Busy can also make you feel excited, and inspired if you’re filling your day with things that motivate you.
I hope my message is clear today that Busy isn’t Bad. Busy is having a great deal of things to do.
It just depends on what things you are filling your life with!
If you feel that your Mum life is unbalanced, why not book a Zoom with me? Together we can assess how you can create a balanced mum life that you enjoy. Book now!
