Unpopular Opinion: Being Busy Isn't Something To Be Proud Of

It’s 2020 and we all have our own goals, dreams and things we wish to achieve, and of course, big dreams require hard work. However, when we start to view “being busy” as a part of who we are and how we identify ourselves, we’re losing sight of the big picture.

Being busy isn’t something to be proud of.

I believe you can live a successful and fulfilling life without cramming your schedule to the brim everyday from the moment you wake up to the second your head hits the pillow. I believe you should take a day off from time to time, not check your email during meals, and opt out entirely from the concept of “multitasking”.

What is the point of filling up your schedule to the point where you have no blank space? The “blank space” in our day is the most precious. It’s the time we leave open for the unexpected to happen. It’s the time we leave open to allow our minds to wander and for daydreams to occur. It’s the time for us to choose where we want to go in our imagination- free from the boundaries of reality and open to any possibilities.

When someone complains to me about how busy they are, or how many things they have on their schedule, I always wish I had a tiny trophy in my back pocket to hand them with “Busiest Person Alive” written on it. It’s 2020- we’re all “busy” to some extent. Being busy (or busier than the person talking to you) does not make you smarter or more successful or more valuable, so stop overbooking yourself. Take a break, it’s okay, seriously.

I see the term “burnout” more and more- from hearing it from friends to seeing it on social media and reading about it in the news. Burnout is what happens as a result of prolonged stress, which puts you in a state of mental, emotional and physical exhaustion. Basically, you did too much for too long, and now you’re feeling the consequences.

Long term stress can have a serious impact on pretty much every aspect of our health. In case you weren’t aware of some of the problems long term stress can cause, according to WebMD, long-term stress can cause mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and personality disorders, cardiovascular disease like high blood pressure or heart disease, obesity and other eating disorders, menstrual problems, sexual dysfunction, skin and hair problems such as permanent hair loss, acne, or psoriasis, and gastrointestinal problems such as gastritis, GERD and irritable colon.

Now, I’m certainly guilty of overbooking myself more times than I care to admit. I’m actually very guilty of everything I’ve said in this story so far- I’ve definitely complained about how many things I had to do, when I’m the one who signed myself up for them. I’ve replied to countless emails over dinner with friends when I should have been enjoying their company, and I’ve attempted to “multitask” projects at once only to make so many errors that I had to re-do them both.

I used to be so proud of how many things I would get done in a week. I would look back at all the work I got done, all the meetings I had, all the things I said “yes” to. It was the beginning of my career and I was so eager to be “busy” all the time because I equated being busy with people who were successful, in-demand and valuable. Now I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter how successful, in-demand or valuable you are if you’re constantly overwhelmed and exhausted! It takes a clear mind and solid focus to achieve something great, and you can’t do that unless you make time to take care of your mind and body first.