"Stop the Glorification of Busy"

An empty calendar. A fresh planner. Blank space. Free Time.

This cute calendar is for sale over at PoppySeedProjects!

Quickly filled: Work. Class. A few mandatory obligations. The occasional necessary appointment.

What about the leftover space? The blank evenings. A free lunch hour. The white space.

We fill it. With anything.

Clubs at school. Committees at church. Campus organizations. Household improvements. Volunteer work. Job shadowing. Meeting with friends. Bible Study group here, book club there.

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Not to mention the other little things filling our time- laundry, errands, taking care of kids and other family members, cooking, errands, other odds and ends. Even planning for our business… for our “crazy schedule” next week. We turn the page of the planner, and it starts over again.

But why? Why do we fill the blank space with so many things? Yes, some are enjoyable. Some are necessary. I am not saying to eliminate anything in particular. But does having a free weekend, a free day, a free evening, or even a completely free hour feel foreign to you? Do you feel like you SHOULD be doing something? (I do...) Something productive? (yes.) Something that will produce results and give you a sense of accomplishment? (definitely yes!) When we are so busy, how can we afford to let an hour go by unfilled with productivity? Guilt intrudes. It fills the hour, the day, the weekend. It fills the white space.

STOP.

Welcome the free time. Allow yourself the white space. Don’t let guilt, or anybody else for that matter, tell you need to be busy. In order to tackle the busy times, we must allow the white space to remain open. It is necessary in order to recharge.

source

Fill it as it comes, with intentional activities that help you regroup and relax. Reading a book, writing in a journal, going for a walk, time with friends or family having fun, making a craft, catching up on a TV show. We are all recharged by different things. Know what helps you.

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend. For some people, this means time off work. Don’t fill your weekend with endless tasks, and certainly don’t let guilt fill it. Allow yourself to recharge. For those who work regular or even extra hours this weekend, look for small moments of white space or look forward to upcoming moments.

Remember to recharge.

How do you recharge? Do you ever feel guilty when you have free time or don't feel productive? Why do you think our society "glorifies busy"?