I know a lot of you struggle with being too busy, too overwhelmed, and having such a packed schedule that you’re finding it really hard to implement healthy habits, to eat well,  to exercise, and to take care of your body. I want to tell you that I get it a hundred percent. Believe me, I’m a single mom. I have two teenagers and a full-time job, AND I’m an entrepreneur. And I also, if you haven’t been listening to me and following me for a while, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. So, I had almost two full years of treatments for breast cancer.

So many things – all these responsibilities, your kids, your home, your relationships, your family, your career. There’s so many things that you’re doing every single day and it’s hard and tiring. And then just even thinking about adding on exercise, cooking, shopping, planning, and trying to get healthy just seems almost insurmountable. And I know you’ve tried to do this over and over again. 

I really want to talk about how you can fit in a healthy lifestyle even when you are super, super busy.

We wear busyness almost like a badge of honor. We love to get together and commiserate – it’s almost like we’re comparing who’s working harder. We don’t want to admit it if we laid on the couch last night for three hours watching Netflix. We just, you know, sweep that under the rug because we don’t want to talk about it. And part of that is  we’re looking for that outside approval. We want people to think we’re hard working and that we’re worthy. We compare ourselves to others and feel like we fall short, we feel like we have to do better. And by doing better, I mean do more.

There definitely are times in our lives when we’re going to be more busy than others. And that can’t be avoided. But if your normal is to always be busy, you might start thinking about whether or not it’s a pattern. Another thing to consider is that a lot of people don’t realize that busyness is an avoidance behavior. Are you staying busy because you’re avoiding something? Because you’re avoiding feelings that come up when you have downtime? That could be a reason why you’re always taking on extra projects or tasks, you’re trying to find something to keep you busy. 

Now, this is going to seem very counterintuitive, but you can actually do more by doing less. And what I mean by that is slowing down. Take time for rest. Getting enough sleep at night actually gives you more energy. So, you’re going to feel better the next day. You’re going to be more productive at work. You’re going to have clearer thinking and you’ll be more creative. 

Another huge benefit of taking the time for self care and slowing down is that it greatly enriches your relationships with everyone in your life. When you’re feeling exhausted and you come home at the end of the day, your family is getting whatever you have left over, whatever gas is left in the tank. And a lot of times that’s not much. You’re just going through the motions, getting dinner, cleaning up, getting kids to bed, chatting with the husband for a minute, whatever. And no one at home is getting the best of you. You’re always running on fumes. You’re always exhausted. And you don’t feel present in the moment. So, when you start giving yourself the self care that you need, when you start taking the time to rest and refuel, to fill back up your tank and recharge your battery, the times that you are with your loved ones, you’re going to be so much more present because you’re not going to be so exhausted. You’re going to be in the moment, and that enriches your relationships. That brings you closer. That creates more intimacy, and eventually, more joy. 

So, if you are this person, I want you to hear my voice the next time you’re taking on that extra project or volunteering for another thing at work. Think about what you are saying no to by saying yes to this busyness. Are you saying no to nourishing your body with healthy foods? Are you saying no to recharging your battery in the evening and getting rest and sleep? Are you saying no to time with your loved ones? Because everything that you say yes to means you’re saying no to something else. We only have so much time in the day. Prioritizing yourself and your health and your loved ones is going to go a long way to radiating out that joy and leveling up your life.