Are you always busy? Do you feel like you don't have time for anything else? If this is the case, it may be time to take a step back and evaluate your life. It's possible that being busy all the time is a sign that something is wrong. This blog post will discuss what it means to be busy all the time and how it can impact your life. We will also provide tips for managing your time and enjoying more free time.

Staying busy can get addicting.

To stay busy often or all the time is something that our society values. The problem is that people seem to confuse keeping busy with being productive. However, there is a difference between the two. Busyness means getting occupied with activity and action, which can mean having a lot on your plate. On the other hand, productivity means getting things done, even without having too many things on your to-do list. When you equate being busy with being productive, people tend to fill their day with many tasks because, to others, it will look like you are a very productive person. However, doing many things doesn't automatically mean you are getting things done. You can become more inefficient if you try to multitask without knowing which job should get prioritized first. In the end, people may still like to get themselves crazy busy, maybe because others do it, or there could be other reasons behind such busyness.

Why so busy?

The need to be busy can arise depending on our lifestyle. Our jobs may demand too many things from us, and maybe we can't say no to our boss. Outside of our work, various commitments can also eat our time. However, sometimes, we decide if we want to be busy or not, depending on our priorities. Our mindsets and personalities can also affect why we like to keep ourselves overly busy. The following are some reasons why we want to stay active, and some may be hidden in sight unless you become self-aware of your actions.

• Some individuals tie their self-worth to their jobs. One then fills their schedule with many activities to look good to others, and it doesn't end there. You may feel needed and appreciated by people when you work for them, so to get that constant high, you keep doing many things to keep yourself busy. It can spill outside of work and keep you busy with household chores and commitments to other people. When you get your sense of worth from external factors, this is what can happen.
• You may have the idea that doing nothing is equal to laziness. But, unfortunately, you don't know how to relax and take a break, so busyness becomes normal for you. You may get anxious when doing nothing, or society will judge you for not accomplishing anything, so you spend most of your time working on something.
• Being busy most of the time can signify someone running away from painful feelings. However, it can get challenging to handle difficult emotions, and you may not be ready yet to face your problems, so you use one of the universal numbing strategies available: get yourself busy to get your mind occupied over something else.
• You don't know how to say "no" to others when they request something from you or ask you to do something. It's also possible that you don't know your priorities, so you keep taking jobs to fill up your day and get used to it. You may also not know how to take care of yourself, and work-life balance may be nonexistent to you.

The impact of busyness on your health and what you can do about it

Being busy is not bad as long as you get things done and don't overwork yourself to exhaustion. However, some people don't know their limits and get addicted to being busy until their mental and physical health suffers. For your physical health, fatigue can be the first thing you experience after doing too much work, followed by various aches and pains in your head and muscles. Multiple diseases may also appear later if you keep tiring yourself out for a prolonged time. On the mental side, you can feel more stressed and anxious. Mood swings can happen, and you may suddenly get angry over minor things or feel overwhelmed or frustrated. When such things start to affect your health, your relationships with people may also suffer because you can't spend time with them anymore or can't talk to or treat them properly.

If you start noticing changes in your behavior and health due to staying too busy, it's time you do something about it. Curing your busyness begins with the awareness that you are getting too busy and that you have the desire to make a lifestyle change for your well-being. Some things you can do to alleviate your over-busyness include the following.

• Change your mindset about how you see busyness. Being busy is not always equal being productive. Also, try not to be too affected by people's perceptions of busyness.
• Learn to be efficient. Practicing efficiency means getting more things done in less time while ensuring quality output. Efficiency is also the key if you prioritize having a work-life balance.
• Practice self-care. If you truly value yourself, you should know how to prioritize your energy, health, and time. Self-care can also tie in with work-life balance in that you allot time for yourself to enjoy things that you like and balance it with time for work and responsibilities.
• Incorporate breaks and time for relaxation into your daily schedule. Set a limit until when you can take work and when you should take a break. Knowing how much work you can do before you feel tired can help you identify when you should take some rest before continuing with your work.
• Know your priorities and what matters in your life. You don't need to pile yourself up with too much work if you know which ones matter to your goals and beliefs in life. Instead, take what's necessary while giving yourself time to do other essential things.
• Try not to attach your self-worth to your work and other activities. They are not enough to completely define who you are. Your thoughts and words can also indicate who you are and other things that you do that don't take too much of your time.
• If you are using busyness as a coping mechanism to run away from something, like a problem or unpleasant feelings, you should try solving such issues to stop feeling anxious and drowning yourself with work.

Like other things, getting busy in your life should be balanced. It should get done in moderation and not take too much of your time daily. But, sometimes, one can't help that we can get busy when many things happen simultaneously, and one must take care of them immediately. This situation is acceptable as long as it doesn't become a habit or a lifestyle for you. Of course, everybody deserves a break and time to relax. But work and other activities are not the only things we can do with our lives. Our well-being and health should also get prioritized.