Thanks Chris for your post about James Gordon Gilkey’s excerpt in Light from Many Lamps. I really related to the beginning when you posed the most commonly used phrases in modern society of “How are you?” and “I’m so busy!”

As of late, I do not like telling people I am busy. I used to say it all the time, but I think it was out of a sense of “self-importance” or a “symbol of status”, as Chris referenced from the author Pinkser (2017).

One thing I have notice in working with students in Christian ministry, was in consistently saying how busy I was, I actually put a barrier between myself and the students. They found me less approachable and had internal thoughts of “I do not want to bother her” and/or “she does not have time to talk to me.” Unfortunately, I think because of coming across as so busy, I may have made students feel like they were “less important” than me. Currently, I try to avoid saying “I’m busy”, so I do not unintentionally make people feel undervalued by subconsciously suggesting “I’m too busy for you.”

Chris, I appreciated your question:

Are there some specific habits you have put in place in your life to combat the tyranny of busyness?

To answer, some habits I place in my life are (although, since starting this part-time MA, while still doing ministry, I have found these harder to apply):

  • Aiming to spend regular time with God in reflection, listening to music, going for nature walks, prayer and reading the Bible. I find this practice of connecting with God daily to help me slow down and gain perspective, especially in the hectic times.
  • Taking time out every week for regular date nights with my husband and protecting those times. Having time to enjoy each other, no matter how busy our lives are, is important to remain healthy in our relationship.
  • Aiming to have a weekly “Sabbath”: Sabbath” is the concept of taking one day a week to truly rest from work and things we find laborious. Instead of work, we rest and/or do things we love and enjoy to be rejuvenated. I believe God designed human beings to need to take at least one day of rest per week, in order to function their best and keep in good health.
  •  I try to keep a certain amount of “flex time” in my schedule and aim not to book my schedule with back-to-back meetings, so that I do not feel “frantic” by the end of the day.
  • I work in campus ministry, so I function on looking at my year in “semesters.” With that in mind, I aim to go on a spiritual retreat centre, once a semester, for about 3-4 days to rest, spend time with God, refocus and at times ask for direction, clarity and guidance.

I recognized through making this list, that in the past and currently when I feel stressed or extra busy, some of the first things to go from this list is that essential time with God or Sabbath rest. These two are such important practices for continually thriving in my relationship with God and in life, especially since they are times where I usually gain the most refreshment and energy.

Monica

 

References

Pinsker, J. (2017, March 1). ‘Ugh, I’m So Busy’: A Status Symbol for Our Time. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/03/busyness-status-symbol/518178/

Watson, L.E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York: Simon and Schuster.