Am I the only one?

Some days I feel like running through an empty field screaming.

Other days I want to move to a little cabin in a remote forest and only leave to forage for food.

Or quit everything to become a literal beach bum. In California. No, wait—Hawaii.

Why?

Because I. Have. Too. Much. To. Do.

I feel like butter stretched across too much toast. I don’t remember where I heard that analogy, but I think of it often when writing yet another thing on my to-do list.

From school to homework to sports to work to volunteering to spending time with family to spending time with friends to church to chores to squeezing in some sleep, we are running ourselves ragged.

We are taught that we must learn to manage our time better. Don’t have time? Make it. We must do more, more, more. We must be faster, faster, faster.

We must be the best—and apparently the best is the busiest.

We do it all because that’s what we have to do. Is there any other option?

We don’t know how to say no.

We choose quantity over quality.

And it is not good for us.

It’s no wonder we struggle to focus and sit still. It’s no wonder our minds race with anxiety. It’s no wonder we wind up with depression and insomnia and a slew of other health problems. We are rushing through our lives half-heartedly and driving ourselves crazy in the process.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I feel incredibly blessed to have so many opportunities to do so many different things. I certainly don’t think we should sit around doing nothing all day. All I’m saying is that there is a healthy balance here, and we are missing the mark.

There comes a point when getting about five hours of sleep each night in order to finish the insane amount of homework I have seems a bit out of hand. There comes a point when having constant anxiety because I think I must do everything, and know I can’t possibly do it all perfectly, is not worth it. When we start stretching ourselves thin in order to do everything, we end up not being able to do anything well. I’m willing to bet that even the most laid back among us experience this tension of feeling the need to constantly be doing something.

So maybe we need to cut back. Maybe we need to quite a couple of clubs, or take one less class, or work a few less hours. Maybe we need to learn how to say no when we are in over our heads. Maybe we need to stop judging people based on how many things they are involved in. Maybe we need to take a day off here and there just to catch our breath. And maybe—just maybe—that’s okay.

Let’s put a stop to the “busier is better” mindset right now.

(Or at least add it to our to-do lists.)