When the busy creeps in

 

There are several things that make me anxious.

Traffic.

Doctor appointments.

And believe it or not, watching my son play soccer (he likes to fall and roll around on the ground. . . He’s fun to watch, but oh, man, my mamma heart!)

A few weeks ago, I finally ventured in for a routine physical (I really loved the excuse the pandemic offered to kind of ignore needed appointments) and after waiting for a little longer than expected, my heart rate was a little elevated. I didn’t even notice because that is how I’ve been feeling for awhile.  I realized that over the past few weeks, I have felt like a nonstop adrenaline rush that I could not snap out of.  Every day was a mad rush to get people where they need to be (because as a mom of very involved boys, I am also a part time taxi driver. . . Tell me I’m not wrong!), the house was a mess and I just couldn’t stay on top of it, along with so many other things that needed done. I also couldn’t make room for things that are life giving for myself.  Needless to say, I was tired, and I knew I needed to take a bit and just slow down.

Something had to change. I had to be intentional about it, but at the same time, I still had to do some things.  So, last week I spent some extra time watching tv and just chilling.  I still did things, but I wasn’t going to stress if some of things went ignored.  I slowed down and so did the adrenaline soaring through my body.  I watched old Matlock episodes, took time to watch Where the Crawdads Sing (which I thankfully was home alone for because I cried. . . A lot!), baked something just because, and had a Hocus Pocus marathon with my family over hummus and peanut butter boards after soccer games. 

As the week went by, my body slowly reset itself and it felt so good.  I started feeling more rested, relaxed, and all around better.

It’s amazing how easy it is for busy to sneak in.  The calendar fills and you know it’s coming, but it still feels like it sneaks up on you.  This fall, I went in knowing just how busy it was going to be and said no to some previous commitments.  It was a bittersweet decision, but I am one hundred percent glad that I said no.  As much as we want to plan for the busy, it comes and often it is full of all wonderful things, but we become tired, short tempered, stressed, and often put God on the back burner. Our pastor recently shared something that’ve heard before, but it is still very good wisdom: Satan loves Busy. . . all he needs to do is keep us busy and we slowly start taking our eyes off Christ and he LOVES that! I’m not going to lie. . . my quiet times are often the first things to go on most days when it’s super busy.  When I’m not spending time reading my Bible or taking time to talk to God, my attitude suffers and busy wins. 

Back when the boys were little and schedules were oh, so quiet (man, do I sometimes miss those days!), there was a popular saying that you could buy on pretty much anything: CHAOS COORDINATOR.  I used to think that being a mom, those young children running around like crazies was the chaos.  Maybe it was?  But in all reality, there is nothing like the chaos of navigating everyone’s different schedules. . .extra curricular activities, ortho appointments, and work.  It is both wonderful and crazy.  Some days, I very much hate it. . . But I absolutely love watching my boys flourish in the things that they love.

Being busy is not necessarily a bad thing.  I love the things that are filling up our calendars, many of them bring me so much joy, but maybe over time business wears on us and causes our adrenaline to flow and a heart to become uneasy. . . like something is missing.  I’m an enneagram 7 and FOMO is a real thing, but I’ve had to learn to say no and choose rest over fun at times. 

As I was resting last week, I really thought about what I could do to help maintain a calm heart (and mind) amidst the chaos of this busy season we are in.  I’m sharing them, because maybe, you are also in a season of business and are just feeling like you can’t get it all done or struggling to find time to just breathe. So here is a quick list of some of my favorite things to do to encourage a calm heart in the midst of the busy.  

1.      1.  Ask for help. 

I’m a stay at home mom and I still need help.  Between Jon and our good friends, we make it work.  But, I can’t do all the busy by myself.  We need each other!  So, don’t be embarrassed to ask for help when things get tricky.

      2.  Make time to spend time with God. 

This one is hard.  But, I am going to be 100 percent honest here: THIS is probably the one thing that keeps me sane.  Taking a few minutes a day to just open my Bible, read, and spend some time praying shifts the state of my heart quicker than anything else on this list. Am I perfect?  That’s a hard NO! In fact, the busier it gets the harder it is to get that time in, but I try really hard.  Invite God into your day and I will guarantee your day will be better.  God might not take the busy away, but He definitely calms my heart and never leaves us without His presence and strength to get through the day. . . that there is encouragement to my weary heart.

3.       3.  Get outside and take a quick walk.  

     Vitamin D and a little movement helps so much.  Vitamin D and some movement are just what we need to take a breath in between all the crazy.

4   4.   Treat yourself.  

      I know this sounds crazy.  But schedule in your favorite coffee from your favorite coffee shop in between appointments or drop offs.  Or grab your favorite lunch and spend a few minutes just reading or soaking in the quiet.  Laura Tremaine talks often on her instagram about reading lunches.  I know I need to get back in the habit of this one! 

5   5.  Do something that brings your heart joy.

If you are reading this, there is a pretty good chance you’re a mom.  But, I know that if you aren’t. . . This still applies!  The calendar fills up and we are the first to give up the things that feed our soul.  You know how you are wired.  I am wired for traveling, crafting, and the occasional good book and it’s so hard to fit those things in, but I realized this year, that when I do fit in something, whether a quick quilt block or a delicious reading lunch, my step is lighter and somehow the busy doesn’t seem to feel so overwhelming.

These are just 5 things.  No matter what your life is throwing at you today, know that you are not alone and you will get through this.  Busy or not, our life is better when we put Christ first and take time to breathe.  Let me know what helps you through the busy seasons down below in the comments.  I love to hear from you.