too busy

I find it a bit questionable when people say they’re “too busy.” I get it, we all have stuff going on, deadlines, plans, obligations, life moving fast. But there’s a difference between being genuinely tied up and choosing not to make time for someone. I know how it feels to be busy; I live it every week. But I also know how to make space for people I care about. It’s not about having zero time, it’s about how you use the time you do have.

Think about it. When you wake up, before you leave the house, on the way to work, during a coffee break, lunch, on your way home, while cooking dinner, catching up on Eastenders, even when you’re scrolling through your phone for a few minutes before bed. These aren’t huge chunks of your life, but they’re moments. Little pockets you can decide to dedicate to someone. And I reckon most people have them. Most people just don’t, or won’t, use them for the people they don’t think are worth that time.

And that’s what makes it questionable. It’s not the busyness itself; it’s the choice not to choose you. Who they spend these tiny fragments of their day on, who they reply to, who they check in with. If someone really wants to talk to you, if they really care, those moments are always made. People will find a way.

So, when someone says they’re too busy, it’s worth thinking about what that really means. Not in a cynical way, but in a clear-eyed way. It’s easy to hide behind the excuse of being busy. Time is something everyone has. It’s just a matter of who they think deserves it.