# why I stopped saying I am too busy for my own health
You know that heavy, dragging feeling at 4 PM? The one where your legs feel like they’re packed with concrete and your brain is swimming in fog?
I used to blame it on stress. Or coffee. Or just… life.
“The gym is closed,” I’d lie to my personal trainer. “I’m too busy.”
“I’ll meal prep this weekend,” I’d say, staring at the untouched bag of spinach in my fridge. “Just too busy right now.”
For eight years, “busy” was my shield. It was the polite excuse that kept me from admitting I was actually exhausted, sluggish, and slowly losing the energy that used to define my 20s. I was a wellness expert in Austin, Texas, for heaven’s sake. I wrote articles about *you* being healthy, while I ate cold pizza over the sink at 11 PM.
But then, something broke. Or maybe, something clicked.
It wasn’t a dramatic collapse. I didn’t faint on the sidewalk. It was a Tuesday. I was supposed to meet a friend for a walk. I said yes. At 5:30 PM, I was still at my desk, staring at a spreadsheet, realizing I hadn’t moved from my chair in four hours. My back screamed. My eyes burned. And when I finally looked at the time, it was dark outside.
I canceled. Again.
I went home, opened the fridge, and stared at the ingredients for a salad I’d bought on Monday. I sighed, microwaved leftover pasta, and ate it while scrolling through Instagram, watching other people hike Mount Bonnell and drink green smoothies.
That night, I asked myself a question that terrified me: *If I’m never too busy for work, why am always too busy for myself?*
Here’s why I stopped saying I am too busy for my own health. And more importantly, how you can stop too.
## The “Busy” Trap: It’s Not About Time, It’s About Priority
Here’s the thing about “busyness.” It’s a feeling, not a fact.
You have 24 hours. I have 24 hours. The CEO of a Fortune 500 company has 24 hours. The difference? They prioritize. I… didn’t. I treated my health like the leftovers in the Tupperware drawer — an afterthought, saved for when there was “extra” energy. But there is never extra energy. Energy is created by what you put into it.
I tried to measure my health in hours. “I need an hour to workout.” “I need an hour to cook.” If I couldn’t find the hour, I skipped it.
But a study published in *The Lancet* looked at over 1.2 million adults and found that the biggest health risk isn’t just lack of exercise; it’s “inactivity throughout the day.” It’s sitting. It’s the 8-hour work shift with zero movement.
I realized I was waiting for a mythical block of free time that never arrived.
Turns out, my 20 minutes of morning yoga or my 10-minute walk to the grocery store counted just as much as my “perfect” one-hour gym session. I was so obsessed with the *ideally healthy routine* that I missed the *actually healthy routine*.
> **Pro tip:** Stop looking for the hour. Look for the 10 minutes. You have those. You just hide them.
## The Physical Toll: When “Busy” Becomes “Broken”
Let’s talk about what happens when you ignore your body for years. It doesn’t stay quiet.
In my late 20s, I started getting these weird tension headaches. Right behind the eyes. My doctor, who happens to be my best friend (and who prescribes coffee like water), ran some tests. Blood work was normal. Thyroid was fine.
“Stress,” she said. “And sleep debt.”
I was sleeping six hours. Maybe seven if I was lucky. I was running on adrenaline and caffeine. By 2 PM, I was hitting a wall so hard I could barely type. My hands would shake if I didn’t have sugar. I was craving carbs just to feel functional.
I remember one specific afternoon in March. I was drinking my third cup of coffee. It was lukewarm. I took a sip and felt nothing. No buzz. No warmth. Just… nothing. My body had built up a tolerance so high that my morning espresso was basically just hot water.
That’s when I knew I was broken.
I wasn’t just “tired.” I was depleted. My cortisol levels were likely through the roof, keeping me in a constant state of fight-or-flight. But I wasn’t fighting anything. I was just sitting at a computer.
This is what happens when you say “I’m too busy.” Your body doesn’t care about your deadline. It cares about glucose, oxygen, and rest. When you deny those needs, you pay the interest. And the interest rate is high.
## The Shift: 5 Minutes vs. 50 Minutes
So, how did I fix it? I didn’t hire a personal trainer. I didn’t join a fancy wellness retreat in Sedona (though I did go once, and it was nice).
I started small. Tiny. Almost stupidly small.
I stopped saying, “I’ll go for a run.” I started saying, “I’ll put on my sneakers.”
That’s it. Put on the sneakers.
If I didn’t leave the house? Fine. The sneakers were on. That’s a win. Most days, I ended up leaving. But on the days I didn’t, I hadn’t failed. I’d just… prepared.
I applied this to food. Instead of trying to cook elaborate meals on Sunday (which I hated), I started keeping “emergency” healthy snacks. Hard-boiled eggs. A banana. A handful of almonds. Things that didn’t require a knife or a pan.
I stopped treating my health like a project. I started treating it like hygiene.
You don’t say, “I’m too busy to brush my teeth.” You just do it. You do it because if you don’t, your mouth hurts. You do it because you want to feel clean.
Health is the same. It’s not a project. It’s maintenance.
## The Social Cost: What We Miss When We’re “Too Busy”
Here’s the part nobody talks about. The social cost of being too busy for your own health.
When you’re exhausted, you’re irritable. I became the person who snapped at my barista when he handed me the wrong order. I was short with my mom on the phone. I missed my friend’s birthday dinner because I was “working late” (I was actually at home, watching Netflix and eating takeout).
My body was so drained that I had no bandwidth for people.
A study from Harvard Medical School found that regular physical activity improves social functioning. It sounds weird, right? How does running make you a better friend?
Simple. When you move, your brain releases endorphins and serotonin. You feel lighter. You have more patience. You’re present.
When I started moving consistently — even if it was just 10 minutes of walking — I noticed my conversations got deeper. I stopped checking my phone during dinner. I actually *heard* what people were saying.
My health wasn’t just about my abs or my cholesterol. It was about my capacity to love and be loved. To be present.
> **Fun fact:** I used to cancel plans to “relax.” Turns out, relaxing at home made me *more* tired. Going for a walk with a friend made me *more* energized. Activity breeds energy. Inactivity breeds fatigue. It’s a cycle.
## The “All or Nothing” Myth
One of the biggest reasons I said I was too busy was the “all or nothing” mindset.
If I couldn’t hit the gym for an hour, I didn’t workout at all.
If I ate one bad meal, I ruined the whole week.
If I missed a day of meditation, I was a failure.
This perfectionism was paralyzing. I was waiting for the perfect conditions. The perfect time. The perfect mood.
But life isn’t perfect. Austin is hot. Traffic is bad. Work gets crazy. Kids get sick. Dogs get diarrhea.
I had to learn to be “good enough.”
I learned to do 10 pushups while the coffee brewed. I learned to stretch my hamstrings while brushing my teeth. I learned to eat a piece of fruit instead of a cookie, even if I ate the cookie an hour later.
Consistency beats intensity. Every single time.
A 2024 study in the *Journal of Sports Sciences* found that moderate, consistent exercise provided better long-term health outcomes than sporadic, intense workouts. Your body likes rhythm. It doesn’t like shock and awe.
So I stopped trying to shock my body. I started giving it rhythm.
## How to Stop Saying “I’m Too Busy” (A Realistic Plan)
If you’re nodding your head right now, if you’re thinking, “Yes, that’s me,” here’s what you need to do. No fluff. No 5-step miracle routine. Just three things.
### 1. The “Non-Negotiable” 10 Minutes
Pick 10 minutes. Any 10 minutes.
For me, it’s 7:00 AM to 7:10 AM. I don’t think. I don’t negotiate. I just move. Jumping jacks. Stretching. Dancing to one song. That’s it.
This isn’t about burning calories. It’s about signaling to your brain that the day has started. It’s about waking up your nervous system.
If you’re too busy for 10 minutes, you’re too busy for success.
### 2. Meal Prep for *One* Meal
Don’t prep five meals. Prepping five meals takes forever. I hate it. I always forget what I made.
Just prep one meal. Or one ingredient.
Wash the spinach. Hard-boil six eggs. Chop the veggies for the salad.
When you’re tired at 6 PM, you don’t have to think. You just grab.
This reduces decision fatigue. And decision fatigue is what makes you order pizza.
### 3. Move While You’re Waiting
This is my favorite hack.
When you’re on a call? Walk.
When you’re boiling water? Do squats.
When you’re waiting for the email to send? Stretch your neck.
These “snack-sized” movements add up. They keep your blood flowing. They prevent that 3 PM sludge feeling.
I call it “exercise snacking.” And it’s delicious.
## The Bottom Line: You Are Worth the Time
I stopped saying I am too busy for my own health because I realized I was too busy for *life*.
When you’re healthy, you have more time. You have more energy. You have more patience. You show up for the people you love. You enjoy the food you eat. You appreciate the sunset on your morning jog.
Your health isn’t a luxury. It’s the foundation.
If the foundation cracks, everything else falls.
So, here’s my challenge to you. Not a 30-day challenge. A 1-day challenge.
Today, find 10 minutes. Just 10. Move your body. Eat one thing that’s good for you. Drink a glass of water.
And then, next time someone asks, “How are you?” don’t say, “Busy.”
Say, “Good. I’m actually feeling really good.”
And mean it.
## FAQ: Why I Stopped Saying I Am Too Busy for My Own Health
**What if I really do have 15 hours of work a day?**
Even then, you have 10 minutes. Maybe two. Do two 5-minute movement breaks. One in the morning, one in the afternoon. It changes everything.
**Do I need to go to the gym?**
No. Walking counts. Stretching counts. Dancing in your kitchen counts. Movement is movement.
**What if I’m too tired to move?**
That’s usually because you’re *not* moving. Start with 5 minutes. You’ll be surprised how much energy you get back.
**How long does it take to see results?**
Physically? Maybe 2 weeks. Mentally? Instant. You’ll feel lighter. You’ll sleep better. Your mood will stabilize.
**Is it okay if I miss a day?**
Yes. Missing one day doesn’t ruin you. Missing a week does. Just get back on track. Be kind to yourself.
## Final Thoughts
I’m not saying you should quit your job. I’m not saying you should become a fitness influencer.
I’m saying you’re worth the effort.
Your body carries you through every moment of your life. From the coffee sip in the morning to the late-night scroll in bed. It works hard for you.
So, give it a little something back. Not a lot. Just a little.
And if you’re still skeptical? Try it for one week. Just one week of 10-minute movement bursts and one prepped meal.
See how you feel.
I bet you’ll be surprised.
*(Source: [Mayo Clinic article on stress management](https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management))*
So, what’s your excuse? And what’s the 10-minute thing you can do today? Let me know in the comments. I read every single one. (Even at 11 PM.)
Xiao Ai
