The glorification of busy

“Busy-ness” is glorified in our society. We wear our stress like a badge of honor, as if the busier we are, the more impressive we must be, and the more accomplished we must seem.

When we glorify stress and being busy, we normalize a culture where running ourselves ragged is not just celebrated but the norm. To not be busy makes you an outlier — someone that is not measuring up to the "standards.”

• How would you describe your days? Would you call them hectic, chaotic, consumed in activities?
• How does being busy make you feel? Do you enjoy the excitement of going from one activity to another throughout the day?
• Do you take fewer vacation days than you’re given or even skip vacation time altogether (like Tom)?
• What activities do you normally do when you’re not at work? Do you rarely take time to sit, relax and read a book or magazine for fun?
• Are your friends and family weary of hearing how busy you are? Have you ever seen someone roll their eyes when you talk about how busy you are?

As a human being interacting with other human beings, we learn that how we show up in the world seems to matter. 

If we have learned through our own social experiences that certain patterns of behavior, such as being extraordinarily busy and constantly on-the-go lead to being successful, connected and accepted by others, then we may find it appealing to engage in those behaviors.