I read an article years ago that laid the foundation for the life I try to lead. Please, please, please give it a quick read, it is called "The 'Busy' Trap." It named this feeling I have had for years, that running around telling people how busy I am is actually sucking the joy from my life. Know what I mean?
There are little gems in the article, such as:
"The present hysteria is not a necessary or inevitable condition of life; it’s something we’ve chosen, if only by our acquiescence to it."
And my personal favorite:
"If your job wasn’t performed by a cat or a boa constrictor in a Richard Scarry book I’m not sure I believe it’s necessary."
As soon as I told myself I wasn't so busy, a crazy thing happened: I wasn't so busy. All of a sudden I had time to stop and chat for 5 minutes. I had time to exercise and take care of my body. I had time to get in an extra cuddle. The truth is, sometimes my life is super busy, but by not talking about it incessantly I don't feel so overwhelmed about it.
I've bucked the system my whole life and I get an adolescent joy out of messing with the status quo. After reading this article I started consciously not telling other moms at preschool drop-off that I was 'soooo busy.' I would smile and say life was awesome and then move on.
It's kind of a conversation killer to be honest, but I want to be part of the solution to the busyness trap. I want to be a voice yelling into the abyss of synced google calender's, dinner eaten in the car, over scheduling, lack of sleep, stress and anxiety saying, "It's ok to say no! You're fine, and enough, and super wonderful just as you are."