Mindful Living - 4 tips to stay mindful and less busy

Published on October 8, 2021

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Have you ever had a day where you had so much on your plate and you didn’t know where your time went?

In our fast-paced world with deadlines, chores, social commitments (online or offline), it can often feel like there is just too much to do. We are rushing from one task to another, in the hopes of feeling satisfied or important. But the truth is that in doing so, we are rushing through life, being busy, rather than experiencing life.

So how can we be less busy? By prioritizing mindful living. Be intentional about what you include in your life, what you spend time on, and what you prioritize.

Here are 4 tips to be less busy in your life.

As we manage chores, laundry to be done, emails to be answered, and deadlines to be met, it can often be easy to try to multitask. As we try to juggle multiple things at once, like responding to an email while on a phone call, or scrolling on Instagram in the middle of a conversation, we reduce our productivity and just become busier. Think about the number of tabs open on your browser. While we think this might help us be more productive, there is no such thing as multitasking. Rather, our brain is frantically switching between multiple tasks, which reduces efficiency and wastes time. Thus, focusing on one thing at a time is more beneficial for our mental health as well as our productivity.

If you don’t have clear priorities, it can be easy to fill up your day with things that aren’t important to you or don’t bring you closer to your goals. As Karen Martin says, ‘When everything is a priority, nothing is.’  Hence, take some time out to get extremely clear on your priorities. Decide what is most important to you. If something isn’t of value, doesn’t bring you closer to your goals, or doesn’t make you happy, then eliminate it.

This also means you have to get comfortable saying no. You might have to say no to opportunities that come your way. Or, perhaps someone wants your help or a favor. The key is to remember what aligns with your values and say no to the rest (just do it politely!).

A big part of our culture is to be in “go” mode. We feel like we must always be doing something. Whether we are cooking dinner, working out, practicing a skill, or just working, we fill each minute of our day with some activity that makes us feel productive. But, a big part of mindful living is to just be. Try practicing doing nothing for long periods of time. Value play. Value laughing. Value doing nothing.

As soon as you start practicing being idle, you will feel the positive effects it has on your life, creativity, and mental health. At the end of the day, we are human beings, not human doings.

Being busy does not mean you are productive. Rather than spending your whole day working and still not accomplishing much, focus on accomplishing more in less time. Eliminate distractions. Focus on one thing at a time. Incorporate deep work sessions so that you can focus on your tasks and get them done more efficiently. Prioritize productivity rather than busyness.

Busyness is a choice. Instead of rushing from task to task, it can be quite powerful to slow down and identify how you can eliminate the busyness in your life.