When life has been busy I need some quiet time, some solitude. Just me-time without interruption from others, whether reading time, puttering-around time, or staring-into-nature time. I can't keep going all the time. Down time, time with a minimum of mental stimulus, helps to integrate experiences and impressions. I need to catch up with myself. When I go too fast and don't stop and ponder I sometimes even get a headache or feel slightly dizzy, which literally tells me that my head is bursting full of stuff.
We feel cultural pressure to be on all the time, to go all the time, to be on and smiling all the time, to be busy all the time. But it's making us frazzled and stressed, especially if all this activity is coupled with noise. I love socializing, I love being with people, but I am a better person when I get down time in between. Peace and quiet are really important. Constant noise affects our health just as much as constant busyness, as The Scientific American explains. We need respite. We need a sanctuary.
Take some alone time, some bath time, some journaling time, some gardening time, some meditation time for yourself, take a personal day off, and make it a quiet time. It's good for your sanity, it's good for your health, and it's good for those who live and work with you because you'll be nicer, more collected, and more relaxed. Here a related post - a new time culture - on taking your time back.