9 Signs You’re Addicted to Being Busy

Oh hey busy woman, are you addicted to being busy, long hours and to-do lists? You aren’t the only one. This week I have seen many women caught up in the busyness trap, exhausting themselves doing task after task with little to no down time. This busy behaviour may be a habit keeping you addicted to proving your own worth. Or it may be a habit you are using as a way to escape what you don’t want to feel in the silence of doing nothing. The truth is, having a busyness addiction creates stress, anxiety and burn out long term. How many of these signs best describes you?

• When you find yourself doing nothing, you feel guilty that you aren’t being productive.
• You find yourself complaining of how busy you are, while simultaneously feeling proud you barely have space to breathe.
• You cannot imagine, not being busy.
• You believe you don’t have time to slow down, and if you did you believe your business, work or life would fall apart.
• You say you’re too busy to meditate, move your body, hang out with your friends, prepare healthy nutritious food for yourself, make time for yourself to relax and let go.
• You constantly look at the clock when you are spending time with loved ones.
• Your only technique for relaxation is entertainment or social media.
• You experience stress even when you are not doing anything stressful.
• You find yourself rushing from one place to the next, even when you’re not late.

If 3 or more statements described you, you’re addicted to busyness. I’m hearing you sister, because breaking this habit ain’t easy.

Delve Deeper

I want you to ask yourself “what am I trying to avoid by being keep busy?”Are you avoiding feeling a certain way? Like..

• feeling like a failure?
• feeling unworthy unless you are achieving something?
• feeling afraid of being ordinary?
• feeling alone or unhappy in your life?

Is there something you don’t want to feel because it feels uncomfortable? It can be way easier to keep busy than to feel like a failure, or feel less than perfect right? Well you’re going to have to stop validating your worth through action. Your long to-do lists, social status and achievements do not define who you are.

Break the Cycle

1. Become aware of your busyness addiction. Draw out why being busy is a necessity for you.
2. Make this your mantra. I already have enough, right now in this moment. I am abundant. I AM ENOUGH!
3. Rethink your self-care. Replace mani’s and netflix with mindfulness, bouts of silence and meditation. Rest your brain, and sit with how you are feeling. Breathe deep, and calm the storm.
4. Name 5 things that are really important to you. Feed your soul so you aren’t inclined to fill the void with busyness. There is more to life than your to-do list.
5. Delegate and let go of having to do it all. You will survive!
6. Learn to say no. If you can’t say no, you will always take on too much.

Breaking your busyness addiction won’t happen over night. I encourage you, however, if you find that you are not at peace with your level of busyness, because it is exhausting you or making you anxious, that you go through this list and create an action plan for creating change in your life. Slow down and remind yourself you are the one in control of your stress. Need some help breaking this cycle? Book a Free Discovery Call.