October is the season of haunted houses and spooky surprises. Between work, family, and responsibilities, your schedule can start to feel like a never-ending haunted house—every turn filled with another demand.
That’s exactly how Jeanette felt.
Jeanette, who was about to turn sixty, had built her life around helping others. She worked long hours tutoring, volunteered for several organizations, and answered emails well past midnight. On busy nights she even ate dinner in the car at stoplights, rushing from one commitment to the next.
On paper, it looked like there was no space for her health. But her biggest obstacle wasn’t her schedule—it was her mindset.
The Curse of “Too Busy”
Jeanette believed that she was trapped by her schedule. Maybe you’ve felt that way too—telling yourself “There’s no time for me” or “I’ll take care of myself later.”
Chapter 8 of Happy Life at a Healthy Weight shows how these beliefs can become roadblocks. They feel real, but often they’re just stories we’ve told ourselves. And much like being lost in a haunted house, it can feel like there’s no escape. But once you recognize the illusion, you realize the exit was there all along.
Casting a New Spell
Jeanette decided to make a change. Instead of waiting for free time to magically appear, she took back control of her schedule with small but powerful changes:
- She set a specific time to end her workday.
- She created an auto reply letting clients know emails after 5 p.m. would be answered the next business day.
- She committed to a regular bedtime and morning workouts.
These changes didn’t just free up her time—they gave her energy, strength, and balance. And most importantly, they proved she wasn’t cursed by busyness. This mindset shift gave her her life back.
What This Means For You
You may not have Jeanette’s exact schedule, but maybe you’ve felt haunted by the same belief—that you’re too busy to take care of yourself.
Your mindset determines whether you stay stuck in the haunted house or find your way out. When you shift from “I don’t have time” to “I can make time in small ways,” you break the spell and open the door to change.
Moving Forward
This Halloween season, take a look at your own schedule. Which parts of “too busy” are real, and which are just ghosts you’ve been carrying around? Shining a light on them might be the first step to finding balance again.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Ready to lift the curse? Take our free Top Inner Roadblocks to Weight Loss Success Quiz and see which beliefs have been casting their spell on you.
Looking for more encouragement this season? Revisit From Haunted by the Past to Hope for the Future for tips on shining a light on haunting thoughts.
Source:
Loughrey K. Happy Life at a Healthy Weight: Creating a Shame Free, Healthy Relationship with Food and Life.Authentic Wellness Publishing Company, LLC; 2024.
Zhana Ivanova
University of Maryland – Nutrition and Food Sciences
Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian
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Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN is a licensed Nutritionist-Dietitian and a weight loss coach with 30+ years of experience in helping people lose weight and develop healthier relationships with food. She coaches her clients nationwide providing weight loss planning, video check-ins, and more. Schedule your free consultation.