No shit? I’m crazy busy too!

In the world that we live in, everyone is busy, always busy. I know it, you know it. Whether you’re a stay at home mum, working full-time or part-time, life has become this massive juggling act. I know the feeling well; working as a Primary School teacher to a bunch of Grade 6’s three days a week (and you can joke all you like about our awesome holidays, but our job requires loads of out of hours work, because we love what we do and there aint enough hours in the day!), having Tuesdays and Fridays off to spend with my littlest, catching up on the household chores, then of course add in all the motherly duties like running kids to and from activities, means that just like you, I’m flat out!! And lets not even get me started on trying to fit in a bit of exercise or reading a book into that! We are all fighting a battle, each and everyone different but true.

But there’s a point where your busy-ness can border on rudeness, there really is. I’m busy, you’re busy. Our busy might be different but when it comes down to it we are all in the same boat; trying to cram more shit into 24 hours than we possibly can, or if you’re like me and enjoy a good nights sleep it’s more like 16 hours!

So here are a few tips that I (try to) follow to make sure that my busy-ness doesn’t become rudeness and I’d love to hear yours! Because staying in touch is really like a big, warm hug.

1. Respond to text messages. It might not always be in a timely manner, but I always do. And if it’s days later, I apologise for not getting back to you quickly. Because lets face it, most of us have our phones permanently attached to our hand and even if you don’t, if you’ve got enough time to upload photos to Instagram or post a status update, surely you have time to message a pal back?
2. Send out a random text. I love doing this if I haven’t seen or heard from a friend in a while. I just shoot out a text to let them know I’m thinking of them and want to know how they are doing.
3. Be aware of your friends routines. I’ll admit, I’m not great at phone conversations, especially when I have a two year old, energetic boy running around crazy in my living room, and I know some of my friends are the same. What I do know is that some prefer a text, some prefer me to message them on social media, some prefer a phone call and if they do, I know the best times to do it. I try to know my friend’s poison and I let them know mine, it makes it easier to stay in touch.
4. Catch up. If you haven’t seen each other in a while, find a date, lock it in and catch up. Yes sometimes it’s hard but it’s totally worth it! Everyone needs a little self-care, and I see catching up with friends as a way to do this. And if it’s too hard, organise a play date with the kids in tow and check out a new park or cafe. I know a group of friends who ditch their families early every Sunday morning for breakfast, how cool is that!? My bestie and I used to meet at a park, take the kids for a walk in the pram and then head to a cafe for breakfast. It meant we were fitting in exercise, catching up, breakfast and a playdate for the kids all at once.
5. Send a card or a little gift. Just like shooting off a random text, I also love doing this, just so my friends know that I’m here and that they do cross my mind. I’ve sent flowers, diaries, cards, little treasures I’ve found, things I love, magazine subscriptions. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, it’s always the thought that counts. Amy and Jade have started Mum Life Project where you can purchase or even pay forward gorgeous Mum Packs (not sponsored, just cool!).
6. Shoot off an email. Some days, five minutes into my lunch break, I jump on my computer and shoot off an email, sometimes it’s to my Mum or Sis and sometimes it’s my bestie. Sometimes it might just be a funny picture, saying, quote or just popping in to say hi.
7. Last but not least, remember phones, Instagram, Facebook, email and the like can show if you’ve read a message. If you’re someone who sometimes opens it and can’t reply instantly (which is me often), maybe have some sort of code or emoji you can send off quickly so your friend knows that you’ve seen the message and will get back to them when you can.

So tell me, in this crazy busy world, what do you do to make sure that your busy-ness doesn’t become rudeness?