Are you operating in Survival mode?

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” ~Socrates

As Joburgers we often mock our Southern countrymen for their laid back attitudes and laissez faire approach to business. In a city that evokes images of bustling business in New York or London, we pride ourselves on our hectic diaries. We define our kids according to how many extramurals they partake in, and look down on anyone who says “not much” when we ask what they are up to. Because “busy” is an addiction - it tells us and our colleagues that more effort equals more progress… and that simply isn’t true.

More and more, “busy” simply doesn’t cut it.
“Busy” has been replaced with “hectic”, “far too busy”, or “absolutely buried.” And while it’s true that being productive often means being busy, at what cost to our health, families, and relationships?

As you likely know from personal experience, you can become so busy that you reach a tipping point, where your life ceases to be productive and falls apart because you can no longer withstand the weight of your commitments. Once you’ve reached that point, it becomes fairly obvious that you’ve over-committed yourself.

The trick, though, is to recognize the signs of “too busy” before you reach that tipping point. A little self-assessment and some proactive schedule-thinning can prevent you from having that meltdown.
 

To help you in that self-assessment, here are 5 Questions your should ask yourself...

DO YOU EAT ON THE RUN?
Activities like eating are always done in tandem with other tasks. If you constantly find yourself using meal times, car rides, etc. as times to catch up on email, phone calls, or calendar readjustments, it’s time to lighten the load. It’s one thing to use your time efficiently. It’s a whole different ballgame, though, when you have so little time that you can’t even focus on feeding yourself.

ARE YOU TIRED WHEN YOU WAKE UP?
You’re consistently more tired when you get up in the morning than you are when you go to bed. One of the surest signs of an overloaded schedule is morning fatigue. This is a good indication that you’ve not rested well during the night, which is a good sign that you’ve got way too much on your mind. If you’ve got some much to do that you can’t even shut your mind down when you’re laying in bed, you’re too busy.

YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO EXERCISE?
The most exercise you get is sprinting from one commitment to the next. It’s no longer opinion that exercise promotes healthy lives…it’s proven fact. If you don’t care about that, that’s one thing. If you’d like to exercise, though, but you just don’t have time for it, you’re too busy. If the closest thing you get to exercise is running from your office to your car because you’re late for your ninth appointment of the day, it’s time to slow down.

YOU DON'T TAKE ENOUGH DAYS TO GO ON HOLIDAY?
Occasional periods of rest are not unproductive, they are essential to productivity. Extended periods of non-stop activity result in fatigue, and fatigue results in lower-quality output. As Sydney J. Harris once said, “The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”

NO TIME FOR FAMILY?
Those closest to you have stopped asking for your time. Why? They simply know that you have no time to give them. Your loved ones will be persistent for a long time, but once you reach the point where they’ve stopped asking, you’ve reached a dangerous level of busy.

“Survival mode” is your only mode.

If you can’t remember what it feels like to be ahead of schedule, or at least “caught up”, you’re too busy.

That's why taking the time to check in with your mind and body isn't a bad thing. In fact, researchers believe the pursuit of health and happiness is far from selfish. When we take good care of ourselves, we're likely to see an improvement in many aspects of our lives, including our physical health, relationships, and even our income. Plus, by making the choice to practice self-care, we have a tendency to care more for others - proving its importance for not just ourselves, but the world around us.

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