Why are we SO busy today? And why don’t we talk about it more? If you have ever felt pressed for time, like there is not enough time in a day or felt like you are running out of time to accomplish something, you are not alone! When I think of this hectic busyness, the phrases double-booked and time warp come to mind. But, I am wondering why when we still receive the same amount of time, 24 hours each day?
We have modern conveniences such as dishwashers and washers/dryers to reduce the hours we spent on household tasks. We even have robot vacuum cleaners and robot lawn mowers while the hours we spent at work have not increased in decades. So, why do we feel like we are running out of time? Are we actually busier than ever before?
To answer those questions, we must become familiar with the hypotheses of why we are so busy today. I will be examining Kowalski’s 7 hypotheses to gain a deeper understanding of modern day busyness👇
- Busyness as a Badge of Honor and Trendy Status Symbol — or the glorification of busy – to show our importance, value, or self-worth in our fast-paced society
- Busyness as Job Security – an outward sign of productivity and company loyalty
- Busyness as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) – spending is shifting from buying things (“have it all”) to experiences (“do it all”), packing our calendars (and social media feeds with the “highlight reel of life”)
- Busyness as a Byproduct of the Digital Age – Our 24/7 connected culture is blurring the line between life and work; promoting multitasking and never turning “off”
- Busyness as a Time Filler – in the age of abundance of choice, we have infinite ways to fill time (online and off) instead of leaving idle moments as restorative white space
- Busyness as Necessity – working multiple jobs to make ends meet while also caring for children at home
- Busyness as Escapism – from idleness and slowing down to face the tough questions in life (e.g. maybe past emotional pain or deep questions like, “What is the meaning of life?” or “What is my purpose?”)
While it depends on the type of person you identify as or the field you work in, some hypotheses stand out more than others. For me, my perfect (anxiety-ridden) combination of busyness would be a mixture of number 2, 3 and 4. Now let’s break down the hypotheses even more👇
- Busyness as a Badge of Honor and Trendy Status Symbol is prominent within today’s society. As employees compete to be productive to bring the most value to their company, an unintentional emphasis is placed upon busyness and its correlation to productivity. Kowalski believes that the shift from “leisure-as-status” to “busyness-as-status” across the decades has caused Americans to feel burnt out. For example, individuals who have characteristics such as competence or ambition are expected to be in high demand within the job market, so by telling others they are busy and always working, they are suggesting that they are sought out individuals which boosts their perceived status – Harvard Business Review.
💭”In America, we are defined by what we do. Our careers. What we produce. It’s the first question asked at parties, and often the first tidbit of information we share with strangers. The implication is that if I am not busy doing something, I am somehow less than. Not worthy. Or at least worth less than those who are producing something…So I fill my Facebook feed and my calendar with self-important busyness to avoid just being.” — Huffington Post
2. Busyness as Job Security is a hypothesis I have heard before. According to a recent poll in 2022, 15% of United States workers feel at risk of losing their jobs and job insecurity can push workers to want to improve their performance. Unfortunately, many employees wind up agreeing to additional work or staying late.
💭”Just because you’re doing a lot more doesn’t mean you’re getting a lot more done. Don’t confuse movement with progress.” — Denzel Washington
3. Busyness as FOMO is something I have struggled with before. This hypothesis made me feel seen because I can relate to trying to do everything! In a world where we know exactly what we are missing out on, it only makes us feel guilty and anxious about the limits of our time or the capacity to use it effectively. Yes we joke about FOMO and while it can be funny, it is also worth noting that it is important to stop paying attention to what everyone around you is doing. Our wellbeing can be majorly effected by social comparison and status. As a reminder, happiness will be determined by where attention is placed. What you choose to focus on drives your behaviors and determines your levels of happiness.
💭”For everything you have missed, you have gained something else.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
4. Busyness as a Byproduct of the Digital Age sparked my interest and immediately had my thoughts flowing. Right off the bat, I thought of how technologies, specifically Email, carry anxiety with them. E-mails often require a response within 24 hours, with the general understanding that the sooner the better. This constant demand often involves multitasking and the job almost never feels done as emails are a mounting demand. It is important to note how our smartphones have easily been converted into a device equipped for work. If your work is your life then how do you disconnect?
💭”We laugh at animal pictures on our work computers, and we answer emails on our couches in front of the TV. On one hand, flexibility is nice. On the other, blending work and leisure creates an always-on expectation that makes sit hard for workers to escape the shadow of work responsibilities.” – The Atlantic
5. Busyness as a Time Filler boils down to one word: Choice. For some people it can be hard to choose down time when there are constant reminders of work you have not completed yet. Social Media can also be one of the daily contributions to comparing your success or daily routines to others. This relates back to Kowalski’s Busyness as FOMO. I remember in college a Professor asked, if you were to write your schedule out in a calendar, would it be clear what your priorities are? I remembered this because the Professor proposed if someone could not get an understanding what you value in life or who you are as a person, it could be beneficial to adjust your schedule to reflect your goals. Finding your purpose is a huge part of life. If you value friends, make sure you check in with them more often. If you value connecting with nature, spend more time outside. For the activities and opportunities that do not align with you, begin saying no. Living your daily life in a way that aligns with your goals is a great way to start feeling as if you are accomplishing tasks, erasing some doubts of the choices you make, as you work towards a higher version of yourself.
💭”We think we don’t have free time when we actually do. We’re simply frittering it away with the mindless versions of passive leisure that don’t register as restorative.” – John Hopkins
6. Busyness as Necessity is one of the hypotheses in which individuals have no other choice than to work multiple jobs to make ends meet and provide for their families. I do believe that the individuals most pressed for time are the ones who have no other choice than to juggle the stress of multiple jobs and caring for a family. From Kowalski, I learned that there has surprisingly been an increase in the amount of leisure time Americans have on average, but I have to question how many Americans are feeling the impact of the increase of leisure time?
💭”And while we may legitimately feel busy, Americans’ working hours have steadily decreased over the last seven decades. In 1948, when the government started keeping track, Americans worked an average of 42.8 hours a week. Today we average 38.7, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Population Survey.” -NBC
7. Busyness as Escapism is hard to unpack, but perhaps one of the major reasons why individuals may feel pressure to find their purpose. While most people are not intentionally running away from anything, acknowledging your busyness can eventually lead to finding your purpose. As I mentioned earlier, by keeping your goals at the forefront and living your daily life in a way that aligns with them, you can feel secure in your choices.
💭”We stay so busy that the truth of our lives can’t catch up.” – Brené Brown
The Major Takeaways Relating to Why We Feel so Busy:
🧠The current glorification of busyness
🧠Job performance worries
🧠The limits of our time or the capacity to use it effectively
🧠Constant demands
🧠Unable to find a purpose or set goals
🧠Supporting a family
🧠The struggle of identifying who we are as individuals
Hopefully some of the hypotheses above will help you to pin point why you may currently be feeling so busy in your daily life. My goal is that you can relate your individual situation to one of the scenarios above while implementing similar solutions to combat busyness within your life.
Cthegood 