What to say instead of “I've been busy” at work

Short answer: say “This week I finished the pricing page and closed four support tickets.”

DON'T SAY
“I've been super busy.”
SAY THIS
“This week I finished the pricing page and closed four support tickets.”
Results show what all that busy actually produced.

When to use it

Use it when someone asks what you've been up to, or when you're explaining why a request is waiting. Naming two or three finished results shows your effort in a way “busy” never can. Keep a running list during the week so you have examples ready.

Example

Manager: “What's been keeping you busy?”

You: “This week I finished the pricing page and closed four support tickets. Next up is the onboarding email.”

In an email or Slack message

In a weekly Slack update: “Done: pricing page, 4 support tickets. Next: onboarding email.” Bullet-style updates show output at a glance.

Quick drill

Any time your manager asks where something stands.

Which sounds more confident?

Practice 10 more →

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25 phrases that make you sound confident at work

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