I’m Just So Busy
July 23, 2019
If you’re like most college students, life is pretty hectic. You’re going to school, working a job or involved in a club, and meeting new faces everyday – all while trying to figure out which degree to acquire because you’re spending thousands of dollars to be here. And if you’re like me, you’ve started answering the question “How are you?” by saying “I’m just really busy” more times than you respond with “good.” I’ve noticed that I’m not the only person doing this. I’ve had countless conversations with people where the “busyness” of our lives is the whole duration of the conversation. So, why are we so infatuated with proclaiming our busyness?
Ernst & Young, one of the largest professional services firms in the world, conducted a poll survey in 2018 where they surveyed 9,700 workers from 8 different countries about their work-life balance. 33% said that balancing work and life is becoming more and more challenging. They also found that the challenges are mostly affecting younger generations the most – not our parents. Their work is growing from just a part of their life, and it is becoming their life. According to BBC, busyness has become a badge of honor in culture. Inc.com says that American culture has turned “I’m busy” into telling people “I’m important.” People have glorified being busy and linked being busy with being valuable, but when we give the list of things that are making us busy, we’re actually hurting our relationships and potential opportunities in the workplace.
While the list of endless busyness is appealing in our own minds, others could care less according to BBC. There’s a paradox when it comes to discussing how busy we are. On one hand, we want to talk about how busy we are and how we are always on the go, but on the other hand, we don’t enjoy when others spend our time discussing how busy they always are instead of enjoying one another’s presence. While we think that discussing our busy lives shows how valuable and important we are, it does the opposite, and this is true in relationships and in the workplace. When we say we’re always busy, we may actually be sending a couple different messages we aren’t meaning to. For example, it may seem like we’re unavailable or that we don’t know how to manage ourselves and our time. Busyness is essentially having a lot of priorities in your life that require your time and attention.
So, when our busy lives become the frequent excuse we use for not being able to hang out and grab a coffee with a friend, it sends the message, “I have a lot of priorities, and these priorities are more important” according to BBC. That’s a big yikes. Hopefully, this isn’t the message we want to send to each other, but it can still be what people hear. Constant busyness can also affect our jobs. Inc.com says there is a common misconception of busyness, meaning the “hardest working”. Sometimes, this can be the case, but bosses may not always see it this way. Depending on your job and workload, your super busy schedules can send the message that you have a poor grasp of time management and are not able to keep up for the job.
It’s no question we are busy. Everyone has their own life with their own plethora of responsibilities. “I’m busy” has lost its original meaning. Now, it can mean apathetic, irresponsible, or even self-conceited. When asked how you are, try avoiding even using the word busy or any synonym for it. Instead, be creative and personal. Talk about something that you’re excited to take a part of or the plans that you have. These articles below also explain the “I’m busy” phrase and ways to avoid it.
Sources
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20170222-this-is-what-you-really-mean-when-you-say-im-busy
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/05/why-you-should-stop-telling-people-youre-so-busy.html
Written by: Andrew Reynolds
Andrew is a Junior Project Management Major, and enjoys writing for the blog because of the opportunity it gives him to grow as a writer and to challenge himself to see current topics and discussions from a view point he may not have otherwise thought about.