Being busy just might be the best thing to happen to your health.

Yup, you’ve read that right.

Being busy can be a healthy thing. With the right mindset, your hectic existence can ironically position you towards a healthier lifestyle.

How exactly?

That’s what we’re going to talk about in this post.

It’s The Reaction…Not the Situation

Being “busy” itself is rarely the culprit of an unhealthy lifestyle. It’s the many things people do as a reaction to it.

For example, because many do not have the time to cook, they either skip meals to save time, (which leads to overeating later)—or order fast food, which often lacks nutritional value and is packed with sugars and fats.

But just because you do not have the time to cook doesn’t mean you automatically default to eating unhealthy.

Here’s a little change in mindset.

If your schedule is too packed to be cooking all the time, then why not batch-cook your food?

That is, plan your meals.

Spend a productive weekend prepping what you’re going to have for the week, and put the food in clean containers, freeze, and re-heat when it’s time to eat.

The nice thing about this is that you only have to decide to eat healthy once…that time when you’re actually making the food. Compared to committing to eat healthy every meal, this one’s easier. You decide, once, that you’ll prep lots of vegetables and healthy options for the week.

When it's time to munch, you don’t even have to think about what to have, you simply open the container labeled “Tuesday: Lunch” and get at it.

(Of course, you can cheat in the middle of the week and order some of your favorites to augment your meals.)

This beats having fast food almost every day, right?

Breath Control Instead of Smoking & Alcohol

Again, it’s not being busy and stressed per se that leads to unhealthy habits. It’s the coping mechanisms that we choose that are inherently unhealthy.

We need to decouple these harmful behaviors from our busy lives.

Generally, there are two very different ways of handling stress—each with its faithful followers and adherents.

One group runs to the comfort of a good smoke and a strong drink, while the other simply runs…and does some cardio.

One is unhealthy, while the other has a long line of benefits scientifically proven to lengthen one’s days on Earth.

Being busy and stressed can actually be a good thing when it spurs us to hit the gym, or make us think, “I’ve really been stressed these past few days. Lemme run and clear my head.”

Instead of finishing a pack of cigarettes or a pack of chips, they’re slowly developing a six-pack.

Stress can be an excellent motivator to prioritize wellness. When you have a lot on your plate, it becomes even more critical to stay healthy and maintain the energy and focus needed for your tasks. When you have a lot on the line, when you have a family to support, or employees depending on you for their livelihood, you can’t help but try to be as healthy as possible for them.

We can observe the stark difference between the two groups.

One has let themselves go—with the years not being kind to their health. The other looks more fit than they were ten years ago. Both may be successful in their careers, but one group looks all glowed up and aging gracefully.

It’s about their response to the situation: You’re busy and stressed…what are you gonna do about it?

No Time To Be Healthy?

Let’s bust some popular myths when it comes to having an active and healthy lifestyle.

First is the idea that you need tremendous effort and time to be healthy. And the other is that you need a special time, a special place and special equipment to get exercise.

These mindsets have been so destructive and have hindered people from being their healthiest selves.  

Myth #1 You need to spend plenty of time to be healthy.

Unless you’re a triathlete training for the next Olympics, getting active shouldn’t take as much time as you think.

You can do “micro workouts”— which are smaller and more manageable exercise segments spread throughout your day. This is like snacking…only better. These 10-minute bursts of activity can significantly impact your health. It can take as little as little as 5-10 mins.

You can also do HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training—which involves shorts bursts of intense exercise. It can last 10-15 minutes and feel like you’ve just spent a couple of hours in the gym. HIIT workouts are shorter than traditional workouts but offer the same or greater benefits, making them ideal for people with limited time.

This can get you fit fast, help your cardio, and melt the stress.

Myth #2 You need a special time, place, and equipment to exercise 

Think of the Pinoy farmer.

He’s probably as busy as you—waking up before sunrise and getting more work done before 9 than others. He doesn’t go to the gym, has never thought of doing cardio, and probably has never tried those mass-building protein shakes.     

But he’s fit as a fiddle. Why?

Because he has integrated movement into his daily schedule—tilling the land, lifting baskets of produce, and walking and standing for long stretches. The nature of his work is physical, that’s why.

So, how about keyboard jocks whose jobs are sedentary?

You can follow our farmer’s footsteps and follow an active lifestyle. Because your situation is a little different, you need to adapt. You can do things like:

• Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.

• Use a standing desk or an adjustable desk that allows you to alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day.

• Set reminders to stand up and stretch every 30 minutes to an hour.

• Incorporate simple desk exercises like leg lifts, seated twists, or calf raises while working.

• Suggest walking meetings with colleagues instead of sitting in a conference room.

Use your lunch break to take a walk, even if it’s just around the building or in a nearby park.

You’ll soon realize that to be fit, you don’t need a special time, a special place, and specialized equipment to have an active lifestyle.

Too Busy To Live Unhealthy

“Busy” can also be good for your physical and mental health...if you consider the things and activities you’re not able to do.  

Think of the things you’re not able to do because you just don’t have time:

• You’re not able to scroll social media for hours, reducing the risk of negative impacts on your emotional and mental well-being.

• You’re not able to have long, idle phone conversations, cutting down on gossip and negativity.

• Being busy cuts on late-night drinking that wrecks your health and your mood the next day.

• Being busy is easy on the wallet, preventing overspending on needless items, ultimately leading to buyer’s remorse and straining the budget and the relationship.

• Being busy clarifies your priorities—pointing to family, as the most deserving people to get our precious free time.    

Being busy might be something we cannot avoid in this day and age. And with the appropriate mindsets, we can turn the whole situation on its head and benefit from it instead of falling victim to it.

Being productive is good. Just choose the healthy way of handling stress and busyness.

BloodWorks Lab is your partner in health and well-being.

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We are your one-stop shop for all your blood test needs.

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