– by Stephanie Wachman
Brenee Brown, once said, “‘Crazy-busy’ is a great armor, it’s a great way for numbing. What a lot of us do is that we stay so busy, and so out in front of our life, that the truth of how we’re feeling and what we really need can’t catch up with us.”
In my practice, I hear a lot of overworked clients and colleagues say that they are ‘Crazy Busy.’ This seems to be the go-to statement for so many of us when asked “how are you?”
What are we trying to communicate and tell others when we say that we are “Crazy Busy?”
Conveying busyness, consciously or unconsciously, often emotes your overwhelm but it can affect much more than that. We have to be aware that the words we use have a neurological effect on our brains and our bodies. Even saying the word CRAZY can make you feel CRAZYbecause of the inherent meaning your brain applies to the word; which, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary, is defined as, “not mentally sound : marked by thought or action that lacks reason.”
The more we state how “CRAZY BUSY” we are, the more we put meaning into it and our bodies react to the stress by releasing the stress hormone Cortisol. As my late teacher and organizational anthropologist Judith Glaser wrote, in the HBR article, “The Neuroscience of Positive Conversations:” “Our bodies produce higher levels of cortisol, a hormone that shuts down the thinking center of our brains and activates conflict aversion and protection behaviors.”So, with the triggering and charged words we use, we often put ourselves into that state of stress and heightened overproduction because of cortisol. These words, whether we realize it or not, have a tangible impact on ourselves and others.
As a result, when we say we are “Crazy Busy,” we may actually, without realizing it, be saying something deeper like:
- I don’t have time for anything else.
- My life is chaotic and I have no control over it.
- I’m over-scheduled because I can’t say No.
The statement “crazy busy” means incredibly busy, while also connoting a deep feeling of anxiety and chaos. If your life is starting to feel chaotic and you are continually validating it by stating it out loud as well, it’s going to continue being chaotic.
To get out of the “CRAZY” Loop, try taking a more positive approach to commenting on your life and schedule. If the words we use have meaning and impact, then let’s look at how we can change our words to improve our lives, rather than detract from them.
The first step is to have self-awareness and to be cognizant of when and how your schedule is becoming unmanageable. Maybe you say ‘Yes’ to too many things or maybe you have too many distractions taking up your time, which are causing you to feel overwhelmed and unable to get things done. Understanding that your actions and words always have consequences will enable you to reframe your priorities, responsibilities, and decision making. In the New York Times article, “The Busy Trap,” Tim Kreider, wrote: “The present hysteria is not a necessary or inevitable condition of life; it’s something we’ve chosen, if only by our acquiescence to it.”
Now is the time to make a change and even if you can’t create more space in your schedule, maybe you can start by changing the words you use.
Instead of using the word “Crazy” try:
- My day is full, how about…
- I’m overloaded right now and will have time…
I’m not suggesting that our lives aren’t abundantly full of commitment and expectations. I am saying that we have choices as to how we react to these pressures and how we communicate them to others, and we should do so in a way that is more intentionally positive than negative. By doing this, we are regaining some control over our lives and giving our brains something more positive and less stressful to react to. When we use positive words, our brains produce Serotonin, Oxytocin, and Dopamine, which provide stress relief, calm, and connection, and lead to improved communication.
Our life and our time is precious. How we see ourselves and our relationships with others defines our legacies. If you feel like your schedule has taken over, then take the time to give yourself the gift of choice and try a new approach.
For more tips on managing time, visit my website or get my book OWN your Time available on Amazon and Audible.
