The Quiet Cost of Busyness (and the Journey Back to What Matters Most)
Thich Nhat Hanh once said something that stuck with me:
“The Longest Journey you will ever take is from your Head to your Heart.”
Physically, it’s only about 25 centimeters, yet in lived experience, it can be one of the most meaningful (and challenging) journeys of our lives.
Especially in modern society. We’re driven by outcomes. We’re wired to operate on the premise that life will be better once we’re there. When we get that promotion, when we reach that goal, when we become more efficient with our time, when we move to a nicer house, when the circumstance works more in our favor, when we loose that weight, when work will be less busy, etc.
We make there better than here, often subtly or unconsciously, so we keep on grinding.
It’s one of the reasons we live in our heads a lot of the time. We think, analyze, plan, optimize, worry, push forward,… which makes it harder to stay connected to the things that matter most. It makes it more difficult to move through life from a place of knowing, calm and confidence (the heart) as we’re occupied with the past, the future, and everything that needs doing.
When busyness becomes the norm
When I look at my own life, and at the lives of many people around us, it feels like we’ve lost our way a little through this busyness of modern life.
We’re juggling too many balls.
We’re focused on quantity instead of quality.
We’re not giving our time to those things that we know are really important to us (health, friends, family, our own wishes and desires).
We’re not feeling fulfilled.
Slowly, subtly, we burn ourselves out and lose sight of what really matters.
And although that insight is a bit bleak, there’s beauty in it as well as it’s waking us up to start living differently:
🌱 More in tune with our needs.
❤️ More aligned with our values.
🏄 More in flow, dancing with life from a place of calm, strength and knowing.
Busyness: gentle warning signs
The following indicators or symptoms have nudged me to re-prioritize myself, re-organize my life, and begin that journey from head to heart. You might recognize a few:
You constantly feel there is too little time to do everything you need and want to do. You feel it’s difficult to catch a break and truly rest.
You’re almost always in DOING-mode, rarely in BEING-mode (stillness, presence).
Stress and tension feel like constant companions.
You feel disconnected. Perhaps from yourself, others, nature, or a deeper sense of purpose. This often shows up as frustration.
Whenever you have a free moment, you seek distraction (phone, tv, …).
You sense, quietly but persistently, that there is more to life than this.
You feel a desire to follow your heart more and to gain clarity about a meaningful, fulfilling life.
If you recognize any of this, you’re not alone.
Stepping out of the rat race patterns
There’s a simple truth from Bob Marley I keep coming back to:
The day you stop racing is the day you win the race.
(This post dives deeper in this topic.)
So you could ask yourself the question: How could you step out of the race, out of the busyness, just for a few moments a day?
You can use what we’ve shared here as a start. Insight (if it is “aha”, i.e. more than purely intellectual) and awareness in itself can lead to automatic and effortless shifts in your life. From there, gentle changes start making a real difference over time.
Not every moments needs to be filled productively. Sit still and do nothing for 1-5 minutes. Just stare out of the window for a minute with curiosity. Look with wonder to an ant, bird or tree. Take a few deep, conscious breaths. Really take in the smell of coffee for 10 seconds. Close your eyes and notice your body and how you feel. Meditate. Leave your phone behind when you go to the toilet. Eat mindfully (the only thing you do is eating, nothing else). Don’t put on a podcast or music when you go for a walk or run.
Tiny moments, big impact in the long run. Because you are slowing down. You’re stepping out of that race-feeling for a few moments a day. You’re grounding yourself again, which creates more peace of mind, more clarity, more knowing. You’re moving from head into heart, which in turn leads to flowing more easily through life.
A deeper reflection
If you feel called, you can also take time to reflect more deeply on what truly matters to you and what gives you meaning and purpose.
Here’s a Masterclass on exactly that. As a reader of this blogpost, you can acces it for free using the coupon code “freecourse”:
The Clarity & Purpose Blueprint
And if you prefer a more personal approach, you’re warmly invited to book a connection call and begin your brave journey toward a life that feels more meaningful, light and flow-y.
With love,
Jan Aquarius - Live. Grow. Matter.
#becurious #becourageous #beyourbest
Extras
📩 Subscribe to the newsletter for regular insights and inspiration on achieving more with less and becoming yourself.
🎙️ Listen to the podcast for short, impactful episodes on mindset and fulfillment.
📝 Stay updated on the blog for fresh articles.
📲 Follow me on social media for daily tips and inspiration:
