Leah: . [00:00:00] This episode is for the woman who is so busy right now. She does not even have time to stop. But let me be clear, being too busy to rest is not a lifestyle. It is a season and it should be a very short season.

Not even like a full three month season, more like a week. It is a short term sprint, . If you’re in one right now, head down. Deadlines looming, life packed to the brim. This episode is for you,. Because while you might not be able to pause, you can still protect your energy.

You can still feel more rested, more grounded, and more like you without hitting the brakes completely. Because I get it. You’re like, Leah, I cannot hit the brakes right now. That’s not a possibility. And that’s okay for this moment. So this isn’t about pushing through at all costs. It’s about being smart when stopping just isn’t an option.

You don’t need a five day retreat. You need five minutes of intention. Let’s [00:01:00] go.

Okay. I wanna start by saying, you are not lazy. You’re overloaded. And no, burnout is not your birthright just because you’re ambitious. I used to feel like this is just who I am. It doesn’t have to be who we are, . And we definitely as a culture have to stop glamorizing collapse and start getting smarter about how we refuel while still in motion.

And I feel like collectively we really are doing that. So you may not have a full day to give to rest, but you can give 30 intentional seconds. That’s the reset that’s going to get you back into the driver’s seat. So here’s what this is gonna look like and what you can do. Number one,, take 30 seconds to breathe.

You’re one deep breath away from a better decision, so take it. . Science says that controlled breathing regulates the parasympathetic nervous system lowering cortisol and heart rate. We know [00:02:00] intuitively that when our to-do list is overpacked, our cortisol levels are also strained.

So taking those 30 seconds really can make all the difference. Number two, bring in a little bit of relaxation. Even though you can’t stop moving, this could literally just look like t plus tunes and it equals this little mini reset. Your environment is either helping or hurting your energy.

So set the stage like you actually want to show up for your life. , So there was a study from the University of Maryland showing calming music reduces anxiety and improves focus, and I think we all know that. I remember doing a science project when I was really little. I had three plants and each one had a different environment. One was like heavy metal, the other one was classical music, and the third one was no music at all.

Well, everything else was the same. And at the end of my science experiment, it turned out that the heavy metal plant did the worst, had the least amount of blossoms, the classical music [00:03:00] did the best, and then the middle one was no sound. And I think there’s truth in that. So really just thinking about even letting yourself listen to like some.

Spa inspired music just to help ground you and then add a warm drink because we all know that a warm drink signals safety to the brain. It literally, you know, I think of like warm tea or hot chocolate, and I’m instantly like, ah, life is good. So add some tea and some tunes to your day that actually help you feel a little more relaxed.

Number three. Skip the show and go to sleep. You’re not missing out. When you choose rest, you’re investing in tomorrow’s version of you. , And when life is just packed to the brim and it is like, ha ha, you’re already dreading everything that’s going to the next day. It’s easy to want to give yourself permission to zone out, to scroll to watch the show.

And I get it. I get that. It feels like that could be the answer. But I’m going to encourage you to skip the [00:04:00] scroll, skip the show, and go to sleep. We know how important sleep is and even those extra 30 minutes have been proven to significantly increase your memory, your mood, and your decision making.

And when we are full to capacity, we need to be tip top on our decision making. Number four, wake up 15 minutes earlier. Now, aren’t you glad you went to bed earlier? ’cause this one is gonna feel a lot better if you went to bed earlier, . . Beat the date of the punch and you stop living on defense. I am never gonna stop shouting this one from the rooftops, but when your kids are your alarm, you automatically wake up behind morning routines that are fused with intention reduce.

Decision fatigue. They boost your perceived control. So when you’re feeling like everything is so crazy and you’re feeling a little out of control, one of the best things that you can do is wake up 15 minutes earlier and feel like you are already in more of the control seat because you’re already dressed, you’ve already gotten to take a few minutes for [00:05:00] yourself.

Wake up 15 minutes earlier. Last one. Look to laugh. Laughter is not a luxury. It is a life hack. And you know what happens? Every time you get super, super busy, we put our heads down and it’s like just barrel through. We just gotta trudge. And then it’s adding almost insult to the injury. You’re already feeling overwhelmed.

You’re already feeling extra busy, but because your head’s down, you’re not able to look up and have any sense of enjoyment. In the process laughter, it releases endorphins. It does all those good things for our body, and we need that, especially when things are feeling extra crazy.

So take time to look around. If you have to choose between laughing or crying, go ahead and laugh. It’ll stop the headache, which will be wonderful. . Take the time to look for reasons to laugh, but in fact, you don’t even have to take time as you’re running through the day trying to get everything done, put on a comedy in your ear, like listen to a standup or make sure you’re [00:06:00] in the car ride trying to tell jokes with your kids and laughing and saying the funniest things that happen.

Just try to find ways. To smile and to laugh throughout this busyness. It will make it all just feel better. 

Okay. Your final tip, it’s just a little bonus for you. It’s a visual reset. Your eyes are tired of being talked at, and we can give them a break as well, and you’ll watch your brain. Thank you. , There’s research around this idea called the 20 20 20 rule. Every 20 minutes, you look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, and it’s supposed to help reduce eye strain. But more importantly to me, it’s supposed to help reduce mental fatigue when we are in the trenches, when life is just feeling.

We don’t know when we’re gonna be able to pop our head up to take a breath. We need to make sure that we’re being very intentional because otherwise that busyness, it turns [00:07:00] into us losing our patients. It turns into us getting. Really frustrated with people that maybe don’t deserve our frustration. It turns into resentment.

So these steps, they’re simple. They take no extra time. Okay, going to sleep early, but you’re skipping a show, so it’s not actually taking extra time, waking up early. Yeah, I get it. It’s a little extra time, but it’s gonna be worth it. But most of this laughing, doing a little breathing, listening to some great music.

Putting tea in your cup. These are little things that can help you get through this very short season of crazy and feel a little bit more calm in the process. You don’t need a vacation to feel better. You need intention. You need five minutes where you choose you on purpose, and then when the season is over, maybe book the vacation.

All right, that’s it for this episode. I’m Leah Remay and this is The Balancing Busy Podcast. I will see you next time with more balance and [00:08:00] bliss through all the busyness of life.