What Is Your Busy "Be?"

Life is so busy we commonly feel rushed, anxious, overwhelmed or frustrated. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could choose how we want to “be”while we are busy “doing” our many chores and jobs? We can decide to “be” more positive, calm, compassionate and patient. Sometimes it may not seem possible, but the trick is to start small, when it’s easier.

For example, when I feel rushed as I am driving to an appointment, I go through these steps. The first step is to notice I feel rushed. I can’t change my mindset until I notice what I’m thinking and feeling. Next I take a few deep breaths, which lowers my blood pressure and slows my heart rate. This takes me out of a reactive state and lets the more rational part of my brain kick in. Then I choose what I want to think about. I commonly remind myself that feeling rushed or stressed isn’t going to get me there any faster and sometimes I realize that I’m not even going to be late. I just feel like I need to hurry. I will also decide to think about something positive. I find gratitude is a great antidote for most negative thoughts. This approach has made a HUGE difference in my life and has allowed me to spend more of my time enjoying my busy days. I am far from perfecting this approach, but the improvement I see motivates me to keep learning and practicing.