Stop Saying, "I'm So Busy"

Most of my days start the same way. After the lattes are made, and the breakfast is eaten, I head to my computer still in my jammies, coffee in hand, a single thought running through my brain: “I have so much to do, I have so much to do, I have so much to do.” It’s become like a mantra. But not the good kind.

There’s so much wrong with starting the day this way. You feel behind before you’ve even begun. The feeling of being overwhelmed can make it hard to get started, so you procrastinate. A little scroll through Instagram becomes an hour, and now you’re even more stressed because while you have less time, the insurmountable collection of tasks ahead remains the same.

Now, you’re out of coffee, and you’re stressed. Don’t panic.

Seriously, don’t panic. Research shows that stress impairs the performance of tasks that require complex, flexible thinking. So the more you stress, the worse you do.

The opposite is true for simple or well-rehearsed tasks though. So start with the simple stuff. You’re likely to do better at those things, and finishing them will help you feel more in control, which will help with the more complex tasks.

That’s right, the studies also revealed that, like most things, how effective you are comes down to how in control you feel. Subjects who felt in control of the situation (even if this was an illusion) were often not impaired by stress exposure at all, whereas those who felt out of control had difficulty completing the task at hand. So if you can’t be less busy, pretend you are.

Tell yourself it’s all under control. And use a few simple time management techniques to make yourself believe it.

Think positive. When I find the “I-have-so-much-to-do” mantra scrolling through my brain like the ticker in Times Square, I consciously stop and replace it with something positive. “I have a whole day ahead of me.” “I am going to crush this day one task at a time.” “I am capable and in control.” "There will be wine at the end of the day."

Make a to-do list. It sounds so old-fashioned, but it works. I have an online calendar. I also use two different project management software applications. And those things are great for managing work, keeping things on track, and collaborating. But they do little for my sense of well-being. In fact, they can add to the feeling that so much is piling up.

A list is control.

Just the act of writing something down feels like the first step toward completing it.

And there is nothing like the rush of freedom that you feel when you check the tasks off or the satisfaction of glancing over and seeing the list getting smaller. All those gorgeous check marks. Pen. Paper. List. Liberation. You will not regret it.

Organize. Take a page from Marie Kondo’s book and get your shit together. Tidy-up. Declutter. Organize. What is this, but taking control? A caveat. Don’t try to take on too much at once. Cleaning your closet can be another form of procrastination. (Unless that’s one of the things on your task list.) Right now, this morning, as you face down the day’s litany of demands, just get your workspace in order. Or your computer desktop. Or whatever mess it is that sits there reminding you of your failure to control even the smallest of details. Conquer your laundry basket, conquer the world.

Take a walk. Researchers at Stanford found that walking boosts creativity. Most participants in their study benefited from walking compared with sitting with an average increase in creative output around 60%. It’s partly the increase in blood flow that you get when you get up and move, but it’s also the change in scenery, the fresh air, and the sounds of city and nature that stimulate the mind. While walking indoors, or using a treadmill had a positive effect, walking outdoors heightened the benefit by bringing both cognitive and emotional renewal.

Make a plan. Every night as I lie in bed waiting for sleep, I think about what’s on tap for tomorrow. I mentally plan out what I need to get accomplished. “Tomorrow I’ll do A, B, and C. And maybe a little of D. Or whatever it is. Then I let it go. My brain works on it subconsciously all night even as I am off in my dreams eating a cheeseburger in a helicopter while Bradley Cooper plays guitar and Paul Giamatti reads poetry, which I struggle to hear over the sound of the rotary blades. (What is that emerald expanse below us? New Zealand?) In the morning, I have a head-start on the day because that subconscious work my brain was doing all night makes me feel more in control.

Say no. Did you ever stop to think it’s not you; it’s them? The people who ask you to take on just one more project, to volunteer, to join this club or that, to fundraise. If you feel you are too busy, maybe you are just taking on too much. It’s okay to say no.

Keep going. You might not accomplish everything on your list in one day. It’s okay. Stop making everything so consequential. Do what you can. Do it well. It will all get done if you just keep going.