Staying busy is often seen as a badge of honor and a marker of self-worth, with a lack of leisure time viewed as a direct indication of status.1 However, over-scheduling ourselves to the point where we are always busy can negatively affect our physical and emotional wellness, also impacting our ability to maintain healthy relationships.
Why We Love Staying Busy
Research suggests that an individual’s perceived level of busyness is heavily connected to their feelings of self-worth, as well as to how others view their status.2 Individuals who are always busy by choice tend to feel needed, in demand, and important, thus elevating their feelings about themselves.
Culturally, there has also been a shift in status perception in that material objects and goods are no longer the only indicator of one’s social standing. Now, individuals who are busy at work, overworked, and have a lack of leisure time are perceived as having a higher status.
In addition, some people are always busy as a way to avoid or numb painful feelings and situations.3 By staying super busy, they are unable to focus on what may be bothering them or causing them discomfort beneath the surface.
