In a structured job market — where headhunters chase the best candidates — busy people are seen as possessing skills and characteristics that are in demand. Social media is studded with humblebrags from celebrities about how they are constantly on tour and have no time to have a life.
While wearing a diamond ring or an expensive watch are traditional ways of displaying wealth, a new and more nuanced way to signal status has been to showcase your busyness, Bellezza says, according to studies she has conducted.
Business psychologist Thomas Crabbe says always feeling busy also harbours a feeling of letting ourselves down. Credit: Herman Wouters. What can you say instead?
Laura Simms, a Detroit, Michigan-based risk and safety specialist has some sage advice. And, she adds, it's meaningless. In reality, though, there are many tasks we've got to complete in a work day, often with bosses watching.
You're forcing the question of priority on the person asking you to add to your workload. Apparently all that rushing around was caused by incompetence, not importance. When I heard the news I'm embarrassed to admit that I actually felt better about myself. It meant I had a better shot of getting promoted.
At the heart of it, our competitiveness drives us to lie about how many hours we work. For most of our lives we're told that the world is a zero-sum game. In order for you to succeed, someone else has to fail.
But here's the kicker -- the world isn't a zero-sum game. We all know that working long hours doesn't make you successful. The HBR study confirmed this, saying:. You may also find yourself ignoring or pushing aside any physical health concerns instead of seeing a doctor right away.
Excessive busyness may impact your physical health by triggering or exacerbating:. Demanding schedules may leave no or very little time for meaningful connections with others. You may feel isolated and lonely, and those around you may feel rejected or angry with your lack of availability. Relationships with friends, family, and spouses may suffer because of your overextended schedule. Relationships require time and effort from all participating parties.
Being pulled in multiple directions by your obligations can leave you feeling stressed and unable to engage fully in your relationships. Everyone will have their own idea of what being too busy means to them. If you feel overworked, overwhelmed, or burned out , it's important to prioritize your health and wellness. Although it may feel difficult to shift your priorities and your time, doing so may lead to increased mental and physical well-being, as well as more connected relationships with your loved ones.
You deserve to take time for yourself, whether that means a full vacation or mini breaks during the day. Doing so is an important reminder to yourself that you are a worthy and valuable individual. While being busy may positively impact your self-esteem, if you are so busy that you are unable to practice self-care , spend time with loved ones, and enjoy your free time, being overbooked can actually have a harmful effect on your overall well-being.
Even though it may feel challenging to shift your priorities, disconnecting from work or unnecessary obligations and deliberately resting and taking time for yourself can significantly boost your quality of life.
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Conspicuous consumption of time: When busyness and lack of leisure time become a status symbol. Our work and specific goals are fuzzy, which causes people to be more performative in how they work. This transparency extends to your nonwork time as well. As a manager or lead, your team follows your example.
Busyness robs us of our purpose and agency. Instead of feeling in control and making progress on meaningful work , we end up running around with little to show for it at the end of the day. This is nothing new. There is nothing the busy man is less busied with than living: there is nothing that is harder to learn.
A version of this article originally appeared on RescueTime and is adapted with permission. Events Innovation Festival. Follow us:. But why is that? How busyness becomes burnout Being busy makes us feel good.
Boredom and daydreaming: Research shows that being bored or idle activates a wider area of the brain and helps improve creative thinking.
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