The other day I was having one of those quick, passing kitchen chats at work - you know the type. You pop in to make a coffee (mmm, caffeine) and end up chatting to whoever’s also loitering nearby. It always starts the same way: “Hey, you okay?” “Yeah, you okay?” Like a polite little dance we’ve all agreed to do.

Oh, wait - I don’t think I’ve told you where I work. I rent an office in this huge Georgian manor house. It’s Grade II listed, surrounded by parkland, and - until recently - sheep. (The sheep have mysteriously vanished. I’m concerned, but no one else seems to be.)

Anyway, this place now functions as a serviced office space filled with a random mix of businesses. And for such a big building, the kitchen is pretty small.

So, I’m in this kitchen, making small talk with someone. Once the usual pleasantries are out of the way, the conversation naturally drifts to work. We both run our own small businesses, so it makes sense.

I can’t remember the exact words, but I clearly recall both of us saying how busy we were. Then one of us (probably me) dropped that classic line:

“Yeah… but it’s good though.”

And right after I said it, I thought - how funny is that? We always say it’s “good” to be busy, even when we’re clearly on the edge of a breakdown. It’s always: “Busy, but good.”

Because busy means business, right? But even on days when my calendar isn’t jam-packed, I’m still buried in compliance checks and those admin tasks that never quite go away. So yeah - technically, I’m always busy. But is that really a good thing? It doesn’t always feel that way.

Anyway, this whole conversation got me thinking about those little phrases we toss around without ever really questioning them.

Take the classic:

“Yeah, good thanks!”

Someone asks, “How are you?” and without even thinking, you automatically reply,

“Yeah, good thanks! You?”

Even if you’ve just had a meltdown in Asda car park and spilled coffee on yourself - for the second time that day.

Sure, you could say something like,

“Honestly, I’m barely holding it together and dreaming of quietly disappearing for a while.”

But we don’t. Because if you said that, the other person would probably back away slowly and avoid eye contact forever. 

Then there are the physical versions of these little scripts. Like when there are two chairs close together, and instead of just saying:

“Hey, could you move your chair in?”

…you whisper:

“I’m just gonna… squeeze past you…”

I don’t know if this is a British thing or just a chronic fear of confrontation, but I would never outright ask someone to move over. Instead, I breathe in, stand on tiptoes, and shimmy through - carefully avoiding even the slightest brush against their chair, like it’s wired to an alarm.

And do you ever say sorry when someone else bumps into you?

Because I do. Even when I get hit by a man holding a baguette like it's a weapon.

It’s like this weird reflex - part politeness, part pure survival instinct.

“Sorry! Sorry! Just trying to exist without causing an international incident."

Then there’s the weird stuff we say at the end of a conversation:

“Alright, see you later!”

Even when “later” might mean next week, next month… or who knows when.

I do this quite a lot. Apparently this is more of a Northern thing, but logically it makes no sense. Imagine how confusing it must be for someone who takes things literally:

“Wait, are we… meeting again today? Did I miss something in my calendar?”

And of course, the all-time classic: saying "You too!" to literally everything.

Them: "Enjoy your holiday!"

Me: "You too!"

…even though I’m the one going on holiday - not them. 😳

Look, I’m not saying we should all become hyper-honest emotional truth-tellers in office kitchens. But sometimes I think we could ditch a few of these phrases. Or at least chuckle at how ridiculous they sound.

So yes, I’m busy.
And yes, it’s “good.”
Well... mostly.
Sometimes.
If you ignore the chaos. 🙃