Neha was looking forward to the vacation. Finally, the day came to do the packing and strangely she lost her enthusiasm. The idea of not working and relaxing for two weeks made her cringe. Her discomfort made her dread the joy and freedom it offered. Strange, yes but, rampant today is the ‘busyness addiction’.
We are totally hooked to ‘doing’ and have lost the ability to relax and do nothing. In fact, sitting idle feels morally wrong.
We suffer from CDS (Compulsive Doing Syndrome).
Compulsive Doing Syndrome: Tell Tale Signs
How do you know if you are suffering from CDS? Here’s how:
- You are running through life, not living.
- You are tired but work on autopilot.
- Your calendars are jam packed, yet you try to fit more.
- You flaunt busyness.
- You have no time to eat and coffee is your staple diet.
- You have no time for family.
- You ‘to do’ list is miles long.
- You are too busy to even breathe.
- Your answer, excuse, reason to anything and anyone is the word 'busy' with adjectives ‘very’, ‘crazy’, ‘extremely’.
Why Does This Happen?
Today, ‘busyness’, the only addiction rated morally high and totally accepted. Being busy is mostly a self-imposed and an unnecessary choice that stems from personal circumstances, aspirations AND social pressures.
Many mental and psychological disorders arise from being continuously busy and never finding time to relax. We an intelligent race, emphasize rest and maintenance for our machines but expect our bodies to work 24x7 without rest.
In fact, tiredness is something to be ashamed of. We carry the lifestyle diseases liked badges of honour.
THIS addiction is easily disguised as being happy by basking in high demand for your talents that keeps your busy. Appreciation creates yearning. You do more, cram more, give more. When ‘more’ is more, less is ‘no more’, busyness happens.
However, when we take a break, rest and relax, we focus better and interact wisely. We have less anger and we can cope with regular stress effectively.
How to Tackle ‘Busyness’ Addiction?
Any strategy for overcoming this addiction starts from creating a work life balance.
The first step is to remove things from your plate by focusing on the crucial. By doing less you will be doing more. Whether you work from office or home, you need a demarcation separating work and life. Here are some tips.
1. Create Boundaries
Setting boundaries is a long process. Create strict physical, mental, emotional, space and time boundaries. Make a list of non-negotiable tasks and learn delegation.
2. Create a Morning, Evening Ritual
This is a powerful practice. Start with something simple and easy, like deep breathing, spending time in nature or mindful walking. These practices act as an anchor to make you feel grounded. Morning practices give a good start for the day while evening practices help to relax.
3. Mindful Eating
Make mealtimes non-negotiable. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at fixed times without any distraction. Don’t engage in digital gadgets. Eat to savour.
4. Conscious Breathing
While running busy, we have no time to breathe. Ironically, we don’t have time for the very act that keeps us alive. Start a conscious breathing practice twice a day for 5 minutes, initially and slowly increase the duration. Conscious breathing is relaxing and calming.
5. Schedule Regular Breaks in a Day
Check your work schedule and create breaks. Go for a walk, listen to music, meditate or just sit idle. It’s alright not to do anything. The International Institute of Not Doing Much has some great suggestions on slowing down.
6. Body Scan Meditation
This grounding practice helps us to connect with the body. It encourages awareness by accepting all feelings, emotions and discomforts. There are many body scan meditations available on the Internet.
7. Reduce Stimulation
We have lost the ability to sit still and as a result our minds are overstimulated. Before the advent of artificial light, sun was the prime source of light and human routines were adjusted accordingly. Today, our day doesn't end as nights are amply illuminated. Too much exposure to blue light disturbs the circadian rhythm and is a major cause of disease. This overstimulates the mind, keeps us awake and makes us restless.
Remember you can have multiple credit cards, houses and cars, but you have only one body for life. Stop running the busy race. Live life slowly.
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