10 Important Signs You are too Busy and How to Stop

I’m sure you will agree that we live at quite the hurried pace these days.  If this is you then I’ve got 10 Important Signs You are too Busy and How to Stop.  Part of being a Mom is the incredible amount of duties we need to carry out every single day. I’m passionate about self care and here are 40 Easy Self Care Ideas for Busy Tired Moms!

Are the days of sitting in the backyard on a sunny day and having a picnic,  gone?  Talking to your neighbors over the fence for a nice 10 minute conversation on your way out the door,  gone?

I like to think that I stop and smell the roses now and then,  but sometimes it takes a few clonks on the head to wake me up and I have to realize that I too am caught in the never ending life of busyness!

10 Important Signs You are too Busy and How to Stop

A funny story about being too busy!

It had been quite a busy day after watching my grandson, running my kids to all there sports and to top it off my husband got a flat tire and had to run out late in the evening to get it fixed.  “Can you please boil me up some eggs?”  he asked as he hurried out the door.  “Sure”  I responded.  Oh I was so tired,  but I got the eggs boiling and decided that I would go up and just turn on my bath water..I couldn’t wait to crawl in and soak my weary bones….

So I started running the water and putting in my wonderful Citrus Mango bubbles awwww…I crawled into that nice hot bath and soaked…until I was startled from my rest by my 13 year old daughter yelling up at me  “MOM!”  “Something just exploded on the stove!”  “What are you cooking!” 

Oops..I had forgotten about the eggs!  I had left them to boil…and all of the water had boiled out and a couple of the eggs exploded!  Thankfully my daughter knew how to turn the stove off.   How could I forget them?  We have gas so our house could have burned down!  Yikes!!

Then…

I had a Drs. appointment last week.. I’m ALWAYS on time!  Usually even early…I pride myself on that you know   So I got to the Drs. office..checked in and went to sit and wait for my name to be called.  I picked up a magazine and read the articles that I was interested in…I played with my phone..checked my email…surfed the net a little..got up and went to the bathroom (of course).  Sat back down and glanced over at the clock..”boy they are running behind today”  I thought to myself. 

It was going on about being 1/2 late…I was starting to squirm.  I know that Drs. run late..it’s common sense but after a while I think it’s good policy for someone at the front desk to let you know that the Dr. is running late.  I look up at the 2 receptionists for some kind of acknowledgement..nope..nothing. 

After 10 more minutes..my blood began to boil..don’t they know I have other things I’ve got to get done today.  How dare them think my time is something to be wasted!  50 minutes had passed…That does it..I’m going to have to re schedule this appt.  serves them right!  I’m NOT wasting my valuable time sitting in a Dr.s office.

As I approached the counter,  one of the gals looks up at me with this really nice smile and says..”can I help you?”  So I say..firmly ”I simply cannot wait any longer.  I need to re schedule my appointment.”  She looks at me with this puzzled look on her face and says “one moment please”  She gets up and goes into the back and comes out with this silly look and says “you appointment is for 3:00” .. “ummm yes I know that!”  I say.  She just looks at me kind of with a blank stare and says..” it’s not 3:00 yet”

WHAT!!!  I had arrived at my appointment 1 hour early!  NO WAY!  How could I miscalculate that?  I had sat there for one whole hour waiting and stewing and didn’t even need to be there.  You know I was so shocked that I had done that,  that I wasn’t even embarrassed.  I was so irritated at MYSELF for being in such a rush and getting ahead of myself that I wasted my own hour and then tried to blame it on someone else…not intentionally of course..but come on!

So after re evaluating my time and busy schedule I realized that there were 10 signs of being too busy to watch for,  so that this would not happen again:

1. If I can’t find time to take care of my health.  Such as doing simple things like going for a walk or even taking my vitamins..I’m too busy!
2. If I have absolutely no time to do the things I love in a way that is not hurried at least a few times a week..I’m too busy!
3. If my to do list is getting too long..and I’m getting nothing done..I’m too busy!
4. If I feel tired all the time..I’m too busy!
5. If I forget to laugh at the simple things..I’m too busy!
6. If I can’t stop long enough to listen to my kids tell a silly little story that happened during their day..I’m too busy!
7. If I have not made time for at least one phone call to my family or friends during the week..I’m too busy!
8. If I feel unproductive and guilty when I just want to sit and relax for 20 minutes..I’m too busy!
9. If I am not feeling connected to God..I’m too busy!!
10. If I am starting to forget a lot..too busy!!

Take each one of these on the list and sit down and figure out how and what areas you are seeing these things manifest  in your life.  Write out the exact things you need to do in order to STOP BEING SO BUSY IN EACH AREA. 

Maybe you feel as though you are drowning….This post may be just what you need. 

“Praise be to the Lord,  for he has heard my cry for mercy.  The Lord is my  strength and my shield;  my heart trusts in him,  and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song”  Psalm 28:6~7 

Are you in a hurry?  What signs do you look for ?