How To Stop Being Busy All The Time

The ultimate guide on how stop being busy all the time and make space for important things.

Because life is meant to be lived and savored instead of being rushed through!

Have you ever caught yourself rushing through your day, bouncing from one task to the next, feeling like there’s never enough time?

I’m sure you won’t be surprised to know that that’s a way too common scenario in today’s world.

Being busy has almost become a badge of honor, something that is equated with being productive, successful, and important.

But here’s the thing: being busy is not the same as being productive. It might, in fact, be the opposite.

I used to be on that endless hamster wheel, too. Always in a hurry, always overwhelmed, always thinking about the next thing on my to-do list.

Then during the first year of college, I hit a wall.

My health started suffering, my relationships crumbled like cards, and I lost connection with myself like never before.

I had to take a year off from college, and while most would see that as an ouch moment, it turned out to be a blessing for my soul.

My Life Changed After I Stopped Chasing Busyness

During that one year, I embraced slow living, learned the value of presence over productivity, and got introduced to the practice of self-care.

When I jumped back into the real world, I was a different me.

While everyone around me was still running in a race for no apparent reason, I was busy being not busy, walking at my own pace.

Believe it or not, but due to this shift, I actually achieved more with less effort. More meaningful progress toward my goals, more joy in my daily life, and more peace in my mind and heart.

So, in this post, I am here to advocate for a life that’s less busy and more languid.

Read on to stop being a busy bee and start living more intentionally. This is something you won’t regret spending time on, I promise.

9 Simple Ways To Stop Being Busy

1. Focus On One Task At A Time

Multitasking is overrated and a recipe for stress and anxiety.

You might feel like you have more control when you’re handling everything at once, but the truth is that it makes you more distorted.

Focus comes when you direct it in one place, and it disappears when you spread yourself thin across multiple tasks.

You’ve got one pair of eyes and a single brain, so please use them in tandem to focus on just one task at a time.

It’ll make you more present and make your work more enjoyable, and also more efficient (more work in less time).

Might help: How To Stop Getting Distracted – 11 Helpful Ideas

2. Counter Stress With Self-Care

Stress has a way of snowballing. The more you neglect it, the more you’ll find yourself in situations that bring you stress.

A constantly stressed mind is a busy mind, which in turn leads to a busy lifestyle.

This nasty situation can very easily be avoided if only you take care of stress the moment it presents itself.

Let’s say you had a bad day or just a long one that left you mentally exhausted.

Instead of running back to work the next day in that same state of mind, recharge yourself through self-care first.

Push all other commitments aside, and take a bubble bath, order from your favorite restaurant, watch a movie, and make yourself feel pampered.

Make intentional self-care second nature to you, and you’ll soon be a pro at avoiding the busy life trap and being stress-free.

3. Be A Little Less Competitive

It’s easy to get caught up in competition with others. It’s how companies keep their employees driven and how students are made to study harder.

There is competition everywhere, and you might think you can’t escape it, but why do you have to be a part of it anyway?

Nobody can steal your mindset from you. It’s your own to command.

If you choose to not be pitied against someone else, the competition will disappear on its own.

All the time you spend working to beat someone could be spent improving yourself instead.

And the fruits of that labor will be ten times sweeter because the work was done for yourself and yourself only.

You’ll be surprised how much time this simple shift can free up for you. Less competition and comparison equals more fulfillment and peace.

Don’t miss: How To Be More Secure In Yourself

4. Learn To Slow Down From Nature

Nature is an incredible teacher when it comes to slowing down.

Have you ever noticed how a tree grows?

It takes its time, spreading its roots deep into the earth, stretching its branches towards the sky, year after year. There’s no rush, just a steady, natural progression.

By spending time in nature, you can learn to adopt this pace of life.

Take regular breaks to immerse yourself in the great outdoors. Go for a hike in the woods, walk along the beach, or just sit in your local park.

Let nature remind you of the beauty in stillness.

Feel the earth under your feet, listen to the birds chirping without a care, and observe how freely the leaves rustle in the wind.

Nature will show you that there is a time for everything, and sometimes, the best thing you can do is simply slow down and be present.

5. Say No When You Have To

If you have a hard time saying no, then get yourself to learn how to do it without guilt.

Not every request needs your immediate attention, and not every opportunity needs to be seized.

There was a time when saying no was considered rude and inconsiderate.

I myself was someone who used to take a no very personally until I realized I wanted to be amongst those who said no without fear.

It’s an enviable quality to have, because it means a person knows how to prioritize themselves and their me-time.

Thankfully, these days, more and more people are talking about the importance of drawing boundaries.

This empowering act is finally being recognized for what it is — A way to give priority to what matters and not do anything meaningless.

6. Make Time For Relaxation Amidst Chaos

I’ll admit, sometimes during the day, you might not have the option to not be busy.

But if the rest of your day is relaxed and slow, those rush hours won’t rattle your calm headspace much.

For this, you need to find relaxation during your rush hours, the ones that are actually in your control.

What parts of your daily life feel overwhelming to you?

If your mornings are chaotic, then you can wake up 30 minutes earlier to enjoy a quiet coffee before the day begins.

If your evenings feel stressful, then you can set aside a few minutes to relax at home with reading, meditation, or a hobby.

Even when you think you can’t afford to relax, it might be the only thing that you actually need to feel better.

When you are calm from within, it’s easy to give your best externally.

So, making relaxation a priority? Check.

7. Be Flexible With Your Habits And Routines

I love following a routine, but can’t follow the same one for too long. For one, it’s boring, and secondly, it can lead to stagnancy.

If you’ve always been busy, you will stay busy. All your personal goals and promises to take care of yourself will go unfulfilled.

That’s why you should be willing to change your habits and routines with time.

This month, you might need to give priority to work, but the next one, you might have enough room in your schedule to squeeze in daily walks and cozy reading sessions.

Be willing to change your routines with time, so that you are never busy unless you absolutely have to.

Remember, your routine should serve you, not the other way around.

By being mindful and willing to make changes, you can create routines that enhance your life rather than adding to the busyness.

See: How To Create A Daily Routine That Works For You

8. Be Okay With ‘Good Enough’

When I started this blog, I spent the first two months just trying to get the color schemes and pictures right and editing what I wrote about a dozen times.

I look back and can’t help but frown at myself, because that precious time could’ve been spent creating more content.

Quality matters, but not if it means spending time doing the same thing a hundred times over.

Perfectionism can keep you perpetually busy and also make you a little mad (not in a good way).

Accept that it’s okay for things to be good enough. Sometimes, ‘done’ is better than ‘perfect’.

Embrace your imperfections and free yourself from chasing high standards. You’ll be a happy and less busy human this way.

9. Give Yourself Breaks

I always wanted to grow up to be a badass boss woman who works for 10 hours straight without pausing for breaks.

Now, as an adult, I know how unrealistic and unhealthy that scenario is. Breaks help you enjoy the simpler pleasures in life.

They make you more productive by hitting refresh on your mind. They are vital for your well-being and for your work too.

Why wouldn’t you want to give yourself breaks?

Get over your need to stay busy and pay attention to the signs of burnout from your mind and body.

Give yourself plenty of breaks daily, weekly, monthly, and even on a yearly basis. Below you’ll find some ideas for this.

Daily breaks:

Turn off your devices for 10 minutes and stretch.
Go for a quick walk.
Eat a healthy snack like a fruit, yogurt, or nuts.
Send a quick text, make a call, or share a funny meme with a friend or family member.
Reflect on 3 things you’re grateful for.

Weekly breaks:

Plan a tech-free evening with board games with loved ones.
Explore your local park.
Take a relaxing bath.
Cook something new.
Make time for a fun hobby.

Monthly breaks:

Plan a weekend getaway.
Go on a solo date to a cafe, garden, or the movies.
Volunteer for a cause you care about.
Try a new workout.
Go to the spa.

Yearly breaks:

Give yourself a big vacation, ideally during summer.
Take a sabbatical to travel or pursue an interest.
Join a wellness retreat.
Take a trip every new season (that’s four trips a year!)
Visit your family and friends who live far away.

As you can see, breaks come in all types and lengths.

Your life should be full of such relaxing moments so that they feel like your real life instead of being on the sidelines.

Ready To Be Less Busy?

Making these 9 changes to your lifestyle will help you slow down, be less busy, and make time for activities that bring you real happiness.

You’re not defined by how busy you are or how much work you’re able to squeeze in a day.

So, don’t let a busy schedule rule you. There’s much more to life than that.

Enjoyed my take on a slow and less busy life? Then drop a comment with your thoughts! It’s always a pleasure to hear from you.