Learning to make peace with less work

So many of us are busy, busy, busy.  If there is a window of potential down time we will fill it with something right away.  Some people’s lives require them to be on the move most of the time just to “keep it together.† Yet so many people are busy not out of necessity, but because they are being driven by impulses that they are not completely aware of.  

How busy are you, and why are you so busy all the time? This is the first in a series of articles on the subject, and today I would like to take an initial look at busy-ness and how we respond to reduced demand in our career and work.

People often ask, “How’s work?† We often respond, “Very busy†— and feel good about that.  But what are some of the subconscious beliefs that are involved here, the subtexts to that sense of well-being that we get? They can include these thoughts:

“I am successful at what I do.â€

“Others approve of and like my product or service.â€

“I know what I am doing and I am good at it, and I am making money because of it.† 

“People like me.â€

“I am doing something worthwhile with my time.â€

Conversely, if we are not “busy†with work, we may experience some  opposite thoughts.  

“What am I doing wrong?† 

“People don’t value what I have to offer.† 

“People don’t approve enough of what I do to pay for it.† 

“My self-esteem is low because I am not busy with work.â€

“People don’t like me.† 

“Should I be in another business?â€

“I am not doing anything worthwhile with my time.â€

Our sense of self-worth is often directly linked to how busy we are at work.

After this year’s economic slide, many small-business owners have experienced a decline in the demand for their services, and many people are without a job altogether. These people might certainly be faced with their own internal dialogue about their need to be busy with work.  

                  Accepting ‘what is’

If you are working less — and not by your own choice — what emotions does this bring up for you?  Most businesses are cyclical and will likely bounce back after a period of decline. If you can weather a decrease in income for a while, does a reduction in work hours need to be a source of constant worry or anxiety?

Instead of allowing your subconscious beliefs about “work†to create fear or panic, maybe you could accept it as part of your journey.

So many of us spend a great deal of emotional energy resisting “what is†in our lives when that energy could easily be directed toward other pursuits that provide a greater reward.

From this new place of awareness, look at some of the opportunities and upsides that this new situation makes possible. Maybe the excess energy you had been expending at work has worn you down; this might be a time to renew yourself by maintaining a less rigorous pace.

Possibly your diet and exercise programs have taken a back seat to your work for the past few years and you need to get your physical health back on track. Perhaps you have always wanted to do some drawing or painting and have never “had the time.† This could also be an opportunity to spend more time with family members and make a stronger connection with them.

        Embrace reality, don’t judge it

If you do begin to see that work is slower than it used to be, now might be a the time to revisit your thinking about it.  

We have so many emotions about life situations, and act on them, without a full understanding of what is generating them. One of the goals of this column is to bring more awareness to various important issues that we face in our lives.  This allows us to operate on a higher level of consciousness, which in turn reveals new choices for us about how we want to live, relate to other people, and conduct our lives. Without that deeper understanding, we are sometimes not even aware that we have a choice; we just “do†based on our subconscious beliefs.  

If you find yourself resisting and pushing at work without results in response to changes that you face, try recognizing the internal beliefs that are driving you, and fully accept your current situation without labeling it “bad†or “good.†Embracing reality without passing judgment, and having increased awareness about it, will put you in a position of empowerment where you can make better choices in your life.

An affirmation that might help is: I am at peace with less work, and I take advantage of the new opportunities that I have now.

My next article will offer more insights into why some of us are so busy with work.

Brooke Loening is a life coach in Sharon who works with individuals, and runs weekly coaching groups on career growth, health and relationships. For more information and previous columns visit theloeningplan.com. Columns can also be found at tcextra.com.