Stop Calling Yourself “Crazy Busy”: How to Switch Into Ready Mode
Why do we need to stop calling ourselves “crazy busy”?
When you describe your life as “crazy busy,” your brain hears “panic mode.”
Your stress hormones spike and stay elevated.
This just tanks your memory, judgement and impulse control.
You also activate the fear and anxiety centres of your brain.
You’re trying to get things done, but this kind of mindset just make you worse.
In her TED Talk “An ER doctor on triaging your ‘crazy busy’ life”, Darria Long describes how the ER, can get “crazy busy”. Yet this isn’t a phrase used lightly, and there’s a reason for that. When your brain is running on alarm bells, it genuinely performs worse. Stress hormones climb, the prefrontal cortex slows down, and your emotional reactions get louder. You feel scattered, snappy and overwhelmed. None of this helps you get through your day.
However, stress reactions are highly trainable. Emergency departments deal with constant pressure, yet staff operate in what Darria Long calls Ready Mode. Ready Mode is calm, grounded readiness.
It’s busy, but not chaotic.
You can build this skill too.
What is the difference between Crazy Mode and Ready Mode?
Crazy Mode feels like everything is urgent.
Your brain treats every task like a fire.
Ready Mode is calm capability.
It’s not that there are less problems, it just means being able to respond with clarity.
ER teams enter Ready Mode by training themselves to triage, remove noise and keep their focus steady, even when things go sideways.
Crazy Mode is reactivity.
It’s every notification, every request, every hiccup triggering the same internal alarm.
Ready Mode is prioritised focus. It’s confidence that, whatever walks through the door, you’ll handle it step by step.
The magic is that Ready Mode isn’t personality based. It’s a set of habits.
How do I shift from Crazy Mode to Ready Mode?
There are three core steps.
First, triage your life like an ER: identify reds, yellows, greens and the occasional “black”.
Second, design your environment so daily decisions are easier, and your brain isn’t overloaded.
Third, get out of your own head by shifting your focus toward others, which interrupts stress spirals and opens up better thinking.
1. How do I triage my tasks like an ER doctor?
Triage stops you treating everything as equally urgent. Reds are critical and move the needle. Yellows matter but don’t require an immediate response. Greens are minor. Blacks are things you must drop. When you stop reacting to every task like a “red”, your stress drops and your capacity increases.
In the ER, triage is relentless.
You don’t save lives by answering the loudest person. You save lives by identifying genuine urgency.
| Triage Level | Meaning | Personal Life Example |
| Red | Immediately critical | Sick child, urgent deadline |
| Yellow | Important but not critical | Bills, admin, planning |
| Green | Minor | House chores, errands |
| Black | Should be removed | Duties you’ve outgrown, commitments draining you |
Most people feel overwhelmed because they treat every notification like a red. Learning the difference is a big part of the solution.
2. How do I design my life so managing stress is easier?
Reduce decisions. Too many choices exhaust the brain and slow you down. Plan meals, automate recurring tasks, keep exercise gear together and make temptations harder to access. Small environmental tweaks reduce cognitive load, giving you more bandwidth for the things that genuinely matter.
Decision fatigue is real. The more choices you make in a day, the worse your decisions become.
Simple design changes help massively:
- Plan meals before the week starts.
- Automate anything repeated.
- Lump gear together so you don’t waste energy searching.
- Reduce temptations by increasing distance or inconvenience.
3. How do I get out of my own head when stress spikes?
When panic rises, your internal monologue can tip you into tunnel vision. Shifting your attention to someone else interrupts the spiral. Focusing on what they need widens your perception, improves judgement and resets your thinking. Compassion can become a neurological strategy.
Catastrophising is a natural stress response. The trick is not to let it run the show. Research shows that when you direct your attention to another person, your brain exits tunnel vision. You see more options. You think more clearly. You return to Ready Mode.
How does this approach help people around me?
Ready Mode is contagious. When you stay calm and clear, others pick up on it. People naturally mimic the emotional tone in front of them. One person operating in Ready Mode can shift the whole room. It gives others permission to step out of their overwhelm, too.
People notice when you’re grounded. They follow your lead. It’s quiet influence at its best.
FAQ:
Is calling myself “crazy busy” really that harmful?
Yes. The language you use cues your brain into a threat state, which increases stress hormones and reduces executive function.
What if everything in my life feels “red”?
If everything feels urgent, nothing actually is. That’s a sign to pause, reassess your triage, or remove items from your list entirely.
What are examples of “black” tasks?
Commitments you’ve outgrown, volunteer roles you resent, habits that drain you or responsibilities that should be delegated.
How often should I triage my life?
Daily is ideal. Weekly at minimum. Triage is a rolling process, not a one-off reset.
How do I get better at decision fatigue?
Automate, standardise and design your environment. Your brain will thank you.
What if shifting my focus to someone else feels hard?
Start small. Ask, “What does this person need right now?” It interrupts the spiral and widens your perspective.
Does this work outside high-pressure jobs?
Yes. This approach is based on universal neurological responses, not job type.
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