Hi there, have you ever had a busy day that ended with you feeling more exhausted than productive?

Ever had to pause to remember what you actually did to merit spending so much in gas, commuting cash, precious hours and energy?

It can happen if we’re not purposeful about the time we’re gifted, the personal priorities we have and the why behind our daily movements.

In one of the top posts on this blog, “From Busy On The Road To Working Quietly From Home,” I mention the awkward transition phase when it comes to adjusting a life-tempo, and share tips on pacing your at-home with on-the-go activities.

Do you have a tendency to ‘burn the candle at both ends’ and suffer the consequences of puffy eyes, poor eating habits, sleepless nights and irritability later on?

You wouldn’t be the first or the last to experience this, so if it’s a yes for you…please just consider it as info to be addressed not something to be embarrassed about.

Sometimes we can fill our calendars with tedious tasks and forget to include other meaningful moments. Like that key conversation we’ve been meaning to have, whether it’s to:

• resolve a conflict
• express forgiveness
• treat or connect with a friend
• pitch a project
• book a staycation

Which one of the above most resonates with you?

One thing I recognized even in the midst of then running a 24hr vocal studio was, although it was a joy doing what I loved, the busyness was a subtle tactic to avoid “having the time” to face certain challenges…to work through and grow beyond them.

When a close friend passed away unexpectedly a few years ago, there was not much of a ‘heads up’ to slow down. Days after that shock jammed the breaks on life as I knew it, there was a massive storm in her island home and so with what little strength there was inside, gathering goods from kindhearted people willing to donate took priority. Busy was a temporary bandaid, and it took years and many prayers to peel that off and start embracing a life of joy – regardless of season or circumstance.

when last did you take a deep breath…how about now…?

Many times, we can jam-pack our days with errands, appointments, projects, self-care treatments, hobbies, voluntary commitments and phone conversations in an attempt to side-step or just plain-ol’ avoid having to sit still enough to breathe, identify and recognize the remnant of past pain that can sometimes leak into present thoughts and patterns.

It can be tough…fighting the tendency to rush through the door, but there is great value in taking time to enjoy a quiet moment in the morning so you approach each gifted day with clarity as opposed to panic driven by past habits or flustered thoughts.

If you’ve recently made the step from a shared office setting to a work-from-home format, you’ll quickly notice you can’t run from your thoughts…unless you’ve got loads of loud distractions around…

Either way, running from thoughts isn’t healthy. Choosing healthy thoughts is.

On that note, there’s a special podcast episode coming up that will be linked here on the blog as a new post, and it features Joanne Nicholls, a clinician and researcher. She’ll share her insight (and wisdom) into The Brain, our thought life and making it past pain towards peace. Stay tuned, and in the meantime…

Do you consider yourself a “busy-body” or have an encouraging word about pacing yourself well, to share with someone else who reads this post? Feel free to share here

“Comment: I love waking early in the morning to gather my thoughts. Being a wife and mother can really hijack my time. So, this is one thing that I do for myself that is non-negotiable:+) Great post!” – Benita

“When Busyness Is An Alibi Or An Escape” by Indra Denys was first published on ‘Joy within’ blog