My life is too busy! I'll never find time to write!

When is the last time you just sat and did nothing? Or watched a sunset in a quiet place? Or stopped and really listened to a piece of music?

Unfortunately, doing things like that is uncommon in our busy lives. In recent months, my life is dreadfully hectic. There are so many things I believe I ‘need’ or ‘have’ to do that I don’t take time to recharge myself and just stop occasionally.

But shouldn’t there be more to life than rushing around and doing things every second of the day? Being overly busy results in being tired and less creative, it keeps pumped up and without time to reduce the pressure. Business fills my mind and get overwhelmed and lose track of where I’m going as so caught up in the tasks at hand.

And all of that builds into stress. Sure, a bit of stress in our lives is healthy and keeps us to deadlines, but continuous stress is exhausting and unhealthy.

When we are stressed, we become focused on only a few aspects of our lives – whether it is finishing a project, earning more money or dealing with a difficult relationship. Being so focused makes it hard to see the wholeness of life, and this can also mean missed opportunities.

If your head is always down at the desk then you may not see the perfect answer walking past. And it is hard to be creative and find alternative solutions when you are stressed and focused.

Focusing too long and hard on one thing is likely to bring up negative feelings towards the issue and your life. Stepping back occasionally breaks that focus and has many benefits.

Would you ever drive your car for years without changing tires, giving it a service or an oil change? What about an animal such as a horse – would you ride it all day without giving it a rest?

Think about star athletes for a moment. They train hard for hours every day, pushing themselves to the limits. But their training programs ease off as they get closer to a major sports event, and on the final day they are likely to do something very light and easy, not a hard training session. Why? They are letting their bodies have a rest so they will be at their peak during the event they have worked towards.

So if cars, horses and athletes deserve a break from busyness and stress, don’t you?

If you take a few small breaks in your day, and it can be five minutes of looking at a garden or listening to music, you may be surprised at how much more you can actually fit into your day anyway. The break will refresh and energize you, making the following tasks easier.

Busyness is a symptom of modern living, but you can control it so that stress isn’t a constant part of your life. Remember that you deserve to enjoy your life, too.


P/s: To all my friends out there, I’m sorry that I forgot to reply your email/msg, your birthday, wedding, etc. Hope to see you someday!