Hurry, hurry, hurry. Work, work, work. We want to go on and on. It's in us, the Dutch: 221 times a day we check our phones and eat our lunch at the same time. We prefer to make that one phone call in the car to save some time. And every day, being busy starts all over again. It's more topical than ever. When you ask someone, "How are you? The answer is almost always, "Busy. We just barely have it in our WhatsApp status. When do we stop? When do we take a break and a moment for ourselves?
Do you ever try to schedule an appointment with several friends at the same time? In my case, the next opportunity that everyone is available is usually in December 2020. We Dutch have quite a habit of planning our schedules to be jam-packed. But why is it that we are all so busy? And where does being busy come from? And: can we do anything about it? I take you into the world of being busy.
We set the bar extremely high for ourselves. Always wanting to do everything right, both at work and privately. We get this from birth. As children, a lot of pressure is already put on us: we have to learn well, play sports well, have nice friends, wear nice clothes, etc. Do you not feel this? Then chances are you don't belong, how bizarre is that really! We have slowly internalized this pressure that we have known since childhood. We keep running and running in order to do well for everyone. And when things don't go the way we want, we panic.
This "sensation" of busyness has only increased thanks to new technology. We are constantly accessible and want to react to all the stimuli around us. We are afraid of missing something, also known as FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). We are addicted to work. In fact, one in twelve employees has another job besides their "main job," a third of the Netherlands works more than 40 hours a week, and people are increasingly becoming fans of the "lifelong learning" phenomenon. In addition, 1 in 3 Dutch people are caregivers, not to mention the employees who have young children with whom they have their hands full. Very logical that we are all so busy. We have more and more difficulty in turning that knob.
Did you know that being too busy is even bad for your health? This has been scientifically proven. Professor Mark Williams says this, "Thanks to neurology and brain scans of people who are always running, who don't taste their food and who are always moving from one task to another without realizing what they are doing, we know that the emotional part of the brain that moves people is always in a state of alarm." Petra and Wendy from The Brain Factory explain what is going on in your brain: At one moment your brain is enormously active, at other moments not at all. For example, when someone startles you, your reaction time suddenly becomes super fast and you notice it in your whole body. Sometimes so much so that 10 minutes later you are still "bothered" by it. This is because your brain produces adrenaline at such moments. This works exactly the same way during an important conversation or exam. So stress makes you perform better. Sounds very positive right? But I have to tell you that it is important to relax after these intense moments so that your brain and body can rest. When this doesn't happen your brain keeps sending the signal that you need to perform. Other substances are produced that you can go on and on with and your body does not come to rest. So unhealthy...
Enough neuropsychology. Very nice to know, but what can you do about it? I don't have a crystal ball and can't predict what your future will look like. Nor can I make sure that you will find peace in your head, you have to do that yourself. What I can do is help you with some smart tips. The rest is up to you:
Tip #1: In the moment
This may sound a little floaty, but it's going to help you 100%. If you have an appointment, a presentation or a meeting, make sure you are present with your full attention. In addition, it's good to do 1 thing at a time. They sometimes say, "women can multitask," but they never add that the quality of what you do is much less optimal. In addition, multitasking causes your brainpower to deteriorate. Work task by task. Close everything that is not related to this task. Is the task completed? Take a break and then move on to the next task. This is how you create peace in your mind.
Tip 2: Plan
Make a daily schedule of what you need to do that day. I myself really like having a check-off list next to my computer, because how nice is it to cross off a task every time? I love it. But of course, that too varies from person to person. Work in blocks, for example, use Monday for appointments, Tuesday for calls and Wednesday for internal matters. A tip: Start with the most difficult or tedious task, then you can cross that off and not have to look at it for the rest of the day. Also schedule regular moments of silence or rest so you can think and reflect.
Tip 3: Making choices
Changing your own behavior is difficult. First, of course, you have to be open to it. That's why it's good to make choices. Which task is important and needs attention? Which task is less important and can wait, or could use help from others? Always ask yourself the question, "What I am doing now, is it important for the greater good?" Grab your calendar and look at your activities over the past two weeks and the next two weeks. Do they contribute to your larger purpose? Give them a ranking and make sure you give the low-ranking activities to a colleague. Discuss with your supervisor as needed. And, final tip: dare to say no, too!
Remember: it's impossible to please everyone all the time . Step off the roller coaster for a moment and make time for what really matters. Just a few words of wisdom to close: 'Learn to rest, not to quit.' Good luck!