Sorry I can't, I'm busy...

Does that sound familiar? How many times in a week do you say the words, "I'm busy"?

"I'm bored, I have nothing to do", SAID NO ADULT, EVER.

Being busy is a part of life, and for as much as we wish we had more time, most of us, for personal and professional reasons, find ourselves saying the word "busy" over and over again. Here are some other ways to let people know that you've got a lot to do, without constantly repeating the four letter word b-u-s-y.

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I'm really swamped at work right now. I have a mountain of paperwork on my desk.

I'm up to my elbows/neck in work right now.

In other words: I have so many things to do and not enough time to do them.

I'm a bit tied up right now, can we postpone our coffee date?

In other words: I need to finish whatever I'm doing now, it can't wait.

I've got my hands full with this new project. I don't think I can manage anything else for a bit.

I've got a lot on my plate at the moment.

In other words: I've got a lot of responsibilities (work and personal) to manage that are taking up all of my time right now.

I've bitten off more than I can chew, there's no way I'll be able to finish this project by the deadline!

I'm been burning the candle at both ends, I'm exhausted.

In other words: I'm feeling overwhelmed with all the things I need to do.

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So the next time you need to turn down a dinner invitation or explain to your friends why you've been so absent lately, try using one of these phrases to explain why!