I used to believe that I could thrive on being busy. Powering through to-do lists made me feel energised and productive.
I also loved being in demand. Let’s be honest, it feels good. It makes us feel we’re doing worthwhile things. And of course, we all need to make a living.
When you’re running your own business, it can be particularly satisfying to have a full diary, lots of enquiries and plenty of work coming in. It feels like evidence that you’re doing well.
But are you really thriving, or are you just very, very busy?
Being busy gives me more energy
To a degree, being busy really is energising. It stimulates the dopamine-fed drive system, and can create adrenaline and cortisol, which in reasonable amounts isn’t a bad thing.
But we’re not meant to have the drive and threat systems switched up to max all the time. They’re supposed to be balanced out with rest and relaxation (and oxytocin and serotonin).
And if you’re constantly rushing from one thing to the next, it can be difficult to recognise when you’ve gone beyond the point where being busy is actually helping you.
The problem with constant busyness
Apart from the physical side effects of always being ‘on’, the other problem with constant busyness is that we often don’t have the time or the headspace to ask ourselves if what we’re doing is a) actually what we want to be doing and b) if it’s even the best use of our time financially.
For example, imagine someone running their own small language school. They’re doing so many tasks to run the school that they never seem to find time to do any marketing. The school gets new students through word of mouth, but it always feels like they might be just a few steps away from it all crashing down.
In this case, the busyness actually means that they’re not really in control of their life or their business. Which is super stressful, and definitely not a way to thrive.
The same applies if you’re a writer or editor taking every job that you’re asked to do. You aren’t in the driving seat. You never seem to have time to really think through what kind of jobs you enjoy most, and which pay the best, and seek them out. Or to raise your profile so you’re approached to do these kinds of jobs.
And of course, it can happen to freelance teachers too. Your diary is packed with lessons, but you haven’t had time to think about whether you’re charging enough, whether you’re working with the right clients or whether there’s a better way to organise what you offer.
You might be earning a reasonable income, but only because you’re working every available hour. And if a few clients leave, or you need to take some time off, suddenly things don’t look quite so secure.
Being busy can create the impression that your business is doing well, while actually leaving you with very little control over where it’s going.
Step back and see the bigger picture
When we’re busy running around putting out fires and rushing from one task to the next, it raises our stress levels and stress hormones, and this actually leads to the more creative, bigger-picture parts of our brain shutting down.
In an emergency, we don’t need to see the bigger picture. We just need to run, or fight.
There is even research which has found that we lose 13 IQ points under too much stress.
This is why we can so often get to the end of the day and find that we don’t seem to have achieved anything of value.
So, even when you’re busy, in fact ESPECIALLY when you’re busy, it’s actually more important to take time to step back and get some perspective.
This might be about taking time out, even if it’s only 20 minutes, to meditate, go for a walk or even just breathe.
It’s also about recognising the value of taking time to strategise and plan, reflect and learn, rather than burying your head in the sand and soldiering on – to mix a couple of metaphors.
For example, if you’re constantly struggling to fit everything into your working week, you might need to look at whether you could organise your teaching differently, streamline some of your processes or develop an offer that makes better use of your time.
If you’re taking on every piece of work that comes your way, perhaps it’s time to consider which clients and projects are actually helping you build the business you want.
But you need the time and headspace to ask yourself those questions in the first place.
And that’s very difficult when you’re permanently rushing to get through the next thing on your list.
Taking time to step back isn’t an indulgence. It’s part of running your business well.
That way, you really can thrive on being busy, and use that energy productively and in a balanced way.
Want to grow your business without burning out?
If you’re constantly busy but feel as if you’re not making the progress you’d like, I’ve brought together some resources to help you think about how you’re working and what might need to change.
In my Grow my business without burning out Resource Centre, you’ll find articles and videos about managing your workload, setting boundaries, making better use of your time and building a more sustainable freelance business.