The Busy life Syndrome is not officially recognized as a disorder, but in recent years the scientific community has considered it necessary to be aware of it and work to improve this situation. The reason why they have already dedicated many studies to it is because they observe how society suffers from it and how it is increasing. More and more people feel they must always have something to do and be productive. Otherwise, they are wasting their time and that is not an option.
This is the reason why those who suffer from this syndrome fill all the gaps in their agenda with several tasks to feel productive or perform more than one activity at the same time, such as working and eating at the same time, to avoid the feeling of uselessness. The frenetic pace of today’s life demands us to be the best and this is synonymous with being overstimulated, overworked, always busy and reaching all kinds of work, family and personal responsibilities.
FACTORS OF THE BUSY LIFE SYNDROME
- The false idea that not producing is a failure.
- Having fewer hours than we really need to reach our objectives.
- A huge demand imposed by society and by oneself.
- The fast pace of modern life.
- The culture of wanting everything instantly.
- Believing that personal satisfaction goes hand in hand with productivity.
- Reward the person who devotes all his/her time to work and occupations.
- Keeping the mind busy so we don’t focus on our own conflicts.
CONSEQUENCE OF THE BUSY LIFE SYNDROME
Overstimulated and over-busy people show a series of problems in some of their cognitive functions, affecting memory capacity. According to a study on memory problems by scientists in Scotland, today’s hectic pace, overstimulation and information overload are responsible for people becoming more forgetful and increasingly having trouble concentrating.
The busy life syndrome is causing small absent-mindedness to become normalized which, while normal during aging, is increasingly common in younger people and should not be overlooked. These forgetfulness are not due to cognitive impairment, they are caused by hyperconnection to the Internet, stress and an unhealthy lifestyle such as insufficient sleep or poor diet.
In addition, the busy life syndrome affects performance and work environment and motivation. The latter not only at work but in life in general. It can also cause burnout syndrome, which already affects more than 10% of people in the labor market.
HOW TO REDUCE THE BUSY LIFE SYNDROME
Limits
Feeling productive makes us feel good, but be careful with this feeling because it can turn into an addiction that seriously affects our health. Setting limits is important, you can’t say “yes” to everything. Knowing how far we can go and where our limits are is important to learn to know ourselves better and to avoid suffering from the busy life syndrome. Proposing work disconnection schedules is one of those limits: not answering messages, emails, or performing work-related tasks outside the established schedules.
Allowing yourself to do nothing
To reduce the busy life syndrome, allowing ourselves to do nothing is one of the most important remedies that we must comply with and it is an end in itself. Just as we schedule a meeting, a delivery or a leisure plan in our agenda, we should also set a time to take a break from doing nothing and simply rest. For people who suffer from this syndrome, this simple exercise can be an ordeal because it is contrary to what they are used to doing. Doing nothing is not stimulating the mind and learning that life is not about being productive all the time.
Good sleep and nutrition
People who have the busy life syndrome have eating and sleeping habits that are not adequate for a healthy life. If we eat or sleep only when work permits, it can seriously damage our health in the long run. Create a schedule and set times to sleep. When you eat, focus on that action and don’t be doing something else at the same time, such as answering emails. In addition, leave the electronic devices a few hours before going to bed and try to relax to signal the body to prepare for sleep.
Doing physical exercise
Sport has many benefits in emotional health, in addition to physical health. It helps in the prevention and reduction of stress because it makes us disconnect from work and tasks. Stress can also cause muscle tension and, to relieve it, sport is a good ally. TTherefore, physical activity is a natural antidote to stress. It happens thanks to the increase of endorphins that help reduce the sensation of pain, and the healthy habit of keeping moving reduces the risk of getting sick.
Controlled anxiety
One of the problems that generate anxiety is the “rush disease” and that permanent feeling that we have that everything is urgent, when it is not. Therefore, it is important to control anxiety and above all to prevent it before it appears with activities that help us to relax: a walk in nature, writing, painting, meditating and breathing… Apparently, these are tasks that may seem “unproductive” to someone living with the busy life syndrome, but they help to reduce anxiety in a natural way.