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Are We Addicted to Busyness?

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like we moms are in a competition to see which of us can be the most crazy busy! Are you competing for the busyness trophy?

Does it feel like you’re addicted to busyness, whether you want this lifestyle or not? Are you running from one activity to another with no downtime?

addicted to busyness - steering wheel covered in to do's

Are We Addicted to Busyness?

I think the simple answer to this is YES and NO.

I don’t think we intentionally make ourselves overly busy; I just think it happens.

You say yes to this thing and volunteer for that thing and add another thing to your schedule. Then before you know it, you’re juggling more tasks than you remember signing up for, and you’re having a hard time keeping everything from falling down around you.

And in the midst of it all, you feel like you’ve lost sight of the most important things in your life.

addicted to busyness - mom checking watch

Does it feel like you’re running from one activity or appointment or obligation to another, dragging your children along behind you? And when you talk with other moms, the conversation inevitably turns to the topic of how busy everyone is!

But the problem is, in some ways, it’s almost like we’re trying to be busier than everyone else … as if our worth or value depends on how much we do.

Is this an apt description of your life? Are you tired of being addicted to busyness?

Maybe it’s time to let a few things go. 

How Do We Get Unbusy?

It’s not going to be easy. You’ll have to take up the challenge to actively cut out some activities and obligations from your life and to be clear with others about what you are doing and why.

If you’d like to no longer be addicted to busyness, and help your family get off the busyness merry-go-round, it’s possible! The hardest part is deciding which activities to continue and which to stop.

And yes, it can be difficult to decide where to cut back, but the reward–a schedule that brings a smile to your face instead of high blood pressure, and more time enjoying your family–is worth it!

Here are three practical places you might start:

  1. Limit Extracurricular Activities – While they can be fun and educational, they can also take up lots of time (and transportation costs). You might want to limit those activities to two or three times a week. This also depends on what kinds of activities are a focus for your homeschool family; some families are active in the evenings with sports or dance classes, so they keep their days quieter.
  2. Less Per Kid – Here’s an idea: let each child choose something he or she enjoys, but nobody is allowed to participate in so many activities that it makes life difficult for the rest of the family.
  3. Don’t Assume a Homeschool Mom Must Do “Everything” – a vast majority of us tend to cram way more into our lives than we can safely or sanely handle at any given point. So, decide if the things you’re busy with right now are the things you’re supposed to be busy with.

While it won’t always work perfectly, your quest for becoming intentionally unbusy can work! You have the power to enjoy less hurried days at home with your children. And I believe you will agree, it’s so worth it to give up a crazy busy lifestyle in exchange for a more relaxed way of living!

Don’t be afraid of asking yourself, “Am I addicted to busyness?” If you are and that makes you happy, great.

But if you feel that nagging drudgery or you feel your blood pressure rise just thinking about everything you need to do this week, take a step back and reevaluate what things you are doing and what value they are bringing into your lives. Consider why the homeschool life matters to you and what you most want out of this lifestyle for yourself and your children

It won’t necessarily be easy to cut back, but a relaxed and flexible homeschool schedule might be just the key to simplicity and enjoyment for you and your kids.

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3 Comments

  1. So, this is what I think – when people say they want to “socialize” their kids they usually mean that they want to keep their kids busy with athletics, drama and whatever else. I don’t see this as essential, just busy work. Years ago, we found another homeschooling family that told their kids to pick ONE – yup, ONE thing that everyone could participate in. Okay, so we go one more because we have boys and girls, but it’s the same idea. Say no, limit activities, be happier with less.

  2. Great points. We don’t intentionally choose to be busy, but we need to intentionally choose to not be insanely busy or we will be by default.

  3. I truly believe busyness is a sad program in our society. Busyness keeps us from knowing our true greatness and power as women. It also prevents us from connecting with others on a deeper level. Thanks Heidi!

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