Busyness ... bad habit?

Today in one of my classes we were discussing "bad habits." I was approached with an idea that I had never really considered before, at least not quite in this way. My professor proposed the idea of "busyness" as a bad habit. First, I suppose I should define a habit or a bad habit. Most habits don't necessarily start as "bad habits." However, over time our circumstances change and the pay-off of the habit can become a bad one. In the case of busyness, take for instance people (like myself) who in high school can handle the extreme busyness of life. The circumstances aren't too difficult, so they are able to get by with being really busy. But then when they carry that busyness with them into college and the circumstances change in which they become more difficult and everything requires more energy and time and effort and the busyness is not a good thing or a managable thing. The habit of "busyness" can get to the point where the person HAS to be busy; they cannot function in a relaxed environment. They develop a necessity and dependency on a busy life.

It was very interesting (in other words, I'm pretty sure an act of God) that we discussed this topic today. This week in conversations with my friends I have expressed my concern for the busyness of my schedule this next fall. I will be taking an over-full load of 20 credits, being a small group coordinator, on the Hosanna team, and trying to work a day a week at Starbucks to maintain my eligibility as an employee and have a little bit of money. In explaining this to people, several times I said, "I am just used to being busy; that is what I do and I've never (until this year) known anything different. I almost haven't known what to do with the free time I have had this year." Then today, I went to my Intro. to the Christian Faith class and we had this discussion. I am concerned and convicted of this habit in my life, but I don't know how to change it. I don't know what I can cut out or how to do it. I have to consider several factors when thinking about that. One of those is money; I have to be able to make my car payments every month and pay for gas. Secondly, I must consider what classes I have to take for my major and which of those is required to be this next semester. Third, there are certain gifts that God has given me that I need to be using. I feel as if this year I have not necessarily neglected them, but more so not had much of an opportunity to use them. I don't know what I need to do, what changes need to be made, or how to make them, if they need to be made at all. I will be perfectly honest, I am scared of making changes in my life for next year.