20+ Idioms and Phrasal Verbs to Say “I’m Busy” in Real English

🚀 Busy, Busy, Busy…

If your day feels like a blur of emails, errands, and endless tasks, you're not alone. But instead of always saying "I’m busy", why not express it with natural

English idioms and phrasal verbs?

In this post, you’ll learn over 20 powerful phrases—including an expression from Russian—to describe your hectic schedule like a fluent speaker.

🐝 Idioms That Mean “I’m Really Busy”

These idioms help you describe a full schedule or nonstop activity.

• Busy as a bee – Hardworking and constantly active.
  “She’s been busy as a bee preparing for the big event.”

• On the go – Always doing something or moving around.
  “Between classes and work, I’m constantly on the go.”

• On the run – Always in a hurry or going from one task to another.
  “He’s on the run all day with meetings.”

• In the thick of it – Right in the middle of something intense or demanding.
  “She’s in the thick of it with the project deadline.”

• Have a lot on your plate – Having many tasks or responsibilities.
  “With exams and two jobs, I’ve got a lot on my plate.”

• Spread too thin – Trying to do too many things at once.
  “He’s volunteering, studying, and working—he’s spread way too thin.”

• Snowed under – Overwhelmed with too much work.
  “We’re snowed under with customer orders this week.”

• Slammed – Very busy and overloaded (informal).
  “I’m slammed today—can we reschedule?”

• Swamped – Drowning in tasks, extremely busy.
  “I’m swamped with emails and meetings.”

• Running off one’s feet – Constantly working without rest.
  “She was running off her feet during the holiday rush.”

🐿️ BONUS: A Russian Idiom in English

• Like a squirrel in a wheel – (From Russian: как белка в колесе)
  This idiom paints the picture of a squirrel running in circles—fast, but not getting anywhere.
  In English, we say:

  • “I feel like I’m spinning in circles.”

  • “I’m constantly running but never catching up.”

  • “It’s like being on a treadmill—busy but stuck.”

“All week I’ve been like a squirrel in a wheel—no time to rest, and I’m not even done yet!”

🔁 Phrasal Verbs for a Busy Life

Phrasal verbs are common in spoken English—and perfect for describing busy routines.

• Catch up on – Do something you didn’t have time for earlier.
  “I spent Saturday catching up on emails.”

• Take on (too much) – Accept new tasks or responsibilities.
  “I’ve taken on too much at work.”

• Juggle (something) – Manage many things at once.
  “He’s juggling work, school, and family duties.”

• Run around – Move from task to task, often in a hurry.
  “I’ve been running around all day doing errands.”

• Keep up with – Stay at the same pace as tasks or people.
  “I can’t keep up with all these deadlines!”

• Work through (something) – Continue working through difficulties.
  “We’re working through a backlog of orders.”

• Wrap up – Finish or complete something.
  “Let’s wrap up this report by noon.”

✅ Mini Quiz: Which One Fits?

• “This week I’ve been __________ between appointments.”
  A) swamped
  B) on the go
  C) caught up

• “I really need to __________ some reading this weekend.”
  A) catch up on
  B) take over
  C) snow under

• “He’s __________ three projects and a part-time job.”
  A) spread out
  B) slammed with
  C) juggling

✅ Answers: 1 – B | 2 – A | 3 – C

✍️ Try It Yourself

Write 3–4 sentences about your last week using:

• 1 idiom (e.g. “snowed under”)

• 1 phrasal verb (e.g. “catch up on”)

Example:

“Last week, I was totally snowed under with assignments. I had to catch up on everything over the weekend!”

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