I remember one of the first exchanges I had with a friend when I moved to DC. I told her that we should definitely hang out soon now that I was in town. She responded that would be great and hopefully we could get together in a few weeks. A few weeks?! She must be really busy and important, I thought.
The longer I lived here, the more I realized that people in this city, and maybe even in this country, assess their value on how busy they are. I hear it every day in almost every conversation. People are always talking about how demanding their jobs are, how overcommitted they are and how there is never enough time to get everything they want to do done.
Today, I read
this amazing article. The author talks about how people are in a "time fog" about how busy they are. They say they work 60 hour weeks when they actually work 45 hours. They say they sleep six or seven hours a night but they actually sleep more than eight.
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| Frustrated Businessman Statue, LA. Source. |
I think there are people in the U.S. who are legitimately busy. Like people who are making minimum wage and they are just trying to pay their rent and put food on the table or are taking care of a bunch of kids without help. I don't think those are the people reading this blog entry. If you are reading this blog, chances are very high that you are not too busy for anything.
And even if you are legitimately busy, your life is largely a reflection of the choices you make. If your life is really so demanding that you don't feel you have time to breathe, you should step back and do an honest assessment. What is your priority? Is it happiness? Be honest to yourself and once you do that, I am convinced that a door to a less stressful and more fulfilling life will open for you.
Loved the article! I think I'll try an activity log for a week :)
ReplyDeleteThere are some great apps to keep track of things! I really want to track how much time I spend on the internet b/c I think I am in denial about how much I am on here. And also w/ how much TV I watch. But relaxing IS one of my priorities!
DeleteAgreed. So many people have this sense of self-importance about being busy. It's stupid!
ReplyDeleteYes! Totally agree. It is a really sad commentary on our society.
DeleteI really need to look at my use of time too! Just had a baby and feel like I can't find the time for anything but I am reading a blog after all!
ReplyDeleteI think it really helps to be around people who had a baby and didn't let it interrupt their lives completely. Obviously things are going to change and it also depends on your baby's temperament but I do think there is a better middle ground than most of our contemporaries have chosen after having children.
Deletethis is a great wake up call for me - I feel like i'm in a rush everyday but I'm not really that busy!
ReplyDeleteYea. The only times I feel stressed are when I have procrastinated to no end when I didn't have to at all. With a little planning I realize that there is always time to get everything I want done! BUT I don't have kinds. :)
DeleteAMEN- couldn't agree more with this. It drives me nuts and I feel like my particular desi community is obsessed with making sure every minute is accounted for, everyw eekend filled with parties and gatherings, its as though being super busy is how one determines their self worth. It's exhausting to watch and I refuse to engage in it. Thanks for a great post.
ReplyDeleteYes! I don't know why people (and kids) are so overscheduled. It just stresses everyone out!
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