Too busy to live
It seems we are constantly busy, from meetings to doctor appointments, to workouts, to grocery shopping. Our lives are jam-packed with things that keep us busy. It has gotten to the point where I personally feel that I am not living my life well unless I am busy. It has begun to become a battle of who’s doing more and more importantly who looks like they are doing more. According to a survey from Ladders, they broke down that the average American gets about 26 minutes of free time a week. (Headley, C. W. (2019, October 14))
The hustle and bustle of staying busy has infiltrated our culture more severely than it may seem. Naturally, our bodies require rest which conincides with our natural schedule of our circadian rhythms; however, we have gotten further and further away from those roots. Technology plays a significant role in the disruption of our built-in rhythmic clock. It has opened the door for society to constantly be buzzing day or night. I find it hard to sometimes even sit down and watch TV, my mind will flutter with tasks I need to complete and disturb me from finding momentary peace with a relaxing activity. The difficulty of focusing on or simply enjoying one task at a time because of the saturation of noise from technology and the general busyness of life is what can lead to “sensory overload” according to an article from Charlene Johnson. As the duration of one’s focus drains, one’s productivity follows a similar downhill slope. The concept of multitasking which we will discuss in more depth shortly, has become a trap in which we buy into the idea that by doing more things at once, we will accomplish more throughout our days, weeks, and ultimately lives. However, what is now being discovered is the sensory overload that accompanies “multitasking” and the deficit in productivity that will often follow. (Chalene Johnson Official Site. (2020))
I have realized that it has become harder and harder to find an “off switch”. Even if we can find an off switch for our work/office life, our personal life is often just as hard, if not more so to turn off. With bills to pay, cleaning to be done, and phone calls to catch up on, life’s busyness seems to be constantly weighing over me. Talking to my close friends and family I have gathered that for them as well, even if they happen to be someone who gets all the tasks done for both their personal and professional lives, they are still trying to fit in the “fun” and “relaxing” parts of life that are somehow supposed to be incorporated into the chaos.
James Hewitt, in a paper, that talks specifically about this “off switch”, introduces the concept of “rumination”. Rumination is the action of constantly mulling over a problem, worry, or situation, often involving one’s work, without the ability to detach from that said situation. With that thought jumbling its way around in our minds, it makes it difficult to clearly focus or enjoy anything else. Hewitt makes the distinction that thinking about work can sometimes be helpful and productive, however, in the case of rumination, a solution is never found and the unproductivity only increases. He stresses the importance of learning how to detach from work, finding the clarity between rumination and problem-solving, and ultimately mastering the art of “switching off”.(Kuenemann, C. (2021, July 14))
As time has passed I have truly begun to ponder on this pattern of busyness and have found it helpful to focus on productivity rather than busyness. One of the first techniques I have discovered and one that has been proven to be helpful is to stop multitasking. According to an article by Forbes, multitasking is extremely harmful to not just your productivity, but to your brain. The article states ‘’ Research also shows that, in addition to slowing you down, multitasking lowers your IQ” (Bradberry, T. (2022, October 12))
Another reason multiple tasking is detrimental is that it takes us away from being present. If we are switching from task to task and texting our boss back while reading an email, and eating lunch we are slowly stretching ourselves to the max. We have to stop spreading ourselves so thin and instead sit back and do one thing at a time. It’s important to remember that getting one thing done is better than none and furthermore if all tasks don't get accomplished the world will keep spinning.
Headley, C. W. (2019, October 14). Survey: The average American has less than half an hour of free time per week. Ladders. Retrieved November 2022, from https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/the-daily-task-americans-are-neglecting-the-most
Why technology makes it more difficult to focus. Chalene Johnson Official Site. (2020, March 9). Retrieved November 2022, from https://www.chalenejohnson.com/why-technology-makes-it-more-difficult-to-focus/
Kuenemann, C. (2021, July 14). Why is it so hard to switch off? J Hewitt Performance. Retrieved November 2022, from https://jameshewittperformance.com/why-is-it-so-hard-to-switch-off/
Bradberry, T. (2022, October 12). Multitasking damages your brain and career, new studies suggest. Forbes. Retrieved November 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2014/10/08/multitasking-damages-your-brain -and-career-new-studies-suggest/?sh=4658d98656ee