How to deal with constant employment

Recognize that being busy is a problem

A lot of mental anguish is often caused by obsession with unpleasant memories and thoughts. We constantly replay them in our heads and cannot create a psychological distance between ourselves and the injustice of life. As a result, we are completely divorced from our core values: those basic principles that, ideally, should guide our behavior. That is why it is so important to separate yourself from your negative thoughts (“Everything is terrible”, “I feel disgusting”) in order to start living meaningfully.

The same thing happens with employment, which devalues everything that is important to us. We work, raise children, communicate, go in for sports - and all this unconsciously, as if we simply cross lines from the to-do list. Employment should not be the main principle in life. But often we don't even notice that it has turned into a problem.

To make life brighter and more meaningful, you need to do less and take your choice more seriously.

Learn to value inaction

When David realized that he did not see life at all due to his constant employment, he decided to start with a simple thing - to be on the street more. He regularly went in for sports, but he just seemed to have forgotten how to walk. Therefore, he began to walk more.

“It's not that hard,” Sbarra says, “just park your car a little further from the office or go for a walk at lunchtime.”

Even an extra 40 minutes of walking two to three times a week can make a significant difference in our lifestyle. While walking, you can think, be inspired by nature and calm down.

In addition, David advises to value inaction. This is not a call to laziness, you just need to realize the importance of moments that are not occupied by any business. In doing so, he cites one of the essays of the journalist and cartoonist Tim Crider from the book "We Do Not Learn Anything."

Constant employment serves us with encouragement, insurance against emptiness. Of course, our life can in no way be banal and meaningless if every hour is busy with us. All this noise, rush, stress just cover up our fears.

Tim Crider

Here are some more tips to help you deal with constant employment.

Try to enjoy simple, unplanned activities, such as playing with the kids or lounging on the couch with a book. You may find, like David, that when you work less, you get better results.
Give up social media. This is a black hole that constantly draws your attention. It is unlikely that you would stand in a room full of people screaming and demanding your attention, but this is exactly the position our brain finds itself in while we sit on social networks.
Laugh more. Employment goes hand in hand with seriousness. And being too serious about everything only hurts.
Appreciate your friends and loved ones. Friendship is as strong as food.

The irony is that by doing less, we enjoy life more. Of course, sometimes you will still be drawn into the cycle of different affairs. But overall, you will begin to feel better, make more informed decisions, and feel more energized.