tag:heartmyheart.org,2008-03-10:/blog/1518View2008-03-10T20:07:38-05:00tag:heartmyheart.org,2008-03-10:/blog/1518Busyness!2008-03-10T20:07:38-05:002008-03-10T20:07:38-05:00faithhalterhttp://heartmyheart.org/profile/p/138richardpulliam@myamphi.comhttp://heartmyheart.org/user_pic/blog/<p>When I ran into a friend recently, he greeted me by asking, “Hi, have you been busy lately?” I promptly answered “Yes!”</p>
<p>I truly have been very busy, which is why it’s been a while since my last posting on this blog. </p>
<p>However, after this brief exchange, I thought to myself, what if I hadn’t been busy? I might still have answered “yes” because it felt as if my friend was really asking if I was doing all right. </p>
<p>I’d guess that he chose the word “busy” because for so many of us, busy is good! It’s the traditional American work ethic and life ethic. </p>
<p>But in terms of stress reduction, busy is NOT always good. There are so many different kinds of busyness, and we each need a different balance of being busy and having down time. </p>
<p>How busy are you? And how do you feel about it? How is the balance in your life between being busy and having time for yourself? </p>
<p>If that balance doesn’t feel optimal, what can you do about it?</p>
<p>If you need help answering this last question, check out the suggestions for reducing anger and stress at the web site of WomenHeart, a patient advocacy group: <a href="http://www.womenheart.org/information/mental_health.asp">http://www.womenheart.org/information/mental_health.asp</a>. </p>
<p>It would be great to learn how you answered some of these questions. Did they provoke any additional questions or thoughts about being busy?</p>