Americans Constantly Try To Keep Busy
A New York Times article argues that being or appearing overly busy is engrained in American work culture. Although those who are overworked and overwhelmed complain ceaselessly, it is often with an undertone of boastfulness; the hidden message is that I’m so busy because I’m so important. According to a 2005 study, “Overwork in America,” released by Families and Work Institute, 36% of 1,000 salaried employees don’t plan to take their full vacation. In addition, a survey of 8,000 corporate employees cited by the New York Times reveals e-mail activity comprises 40% of the average employee’s workday. Psychiatrist Edward Hallowell gave a plethora of reasons for why we actually enjoy long days:
- Appearing busy is a status symbol.
- It is so easy with cellphones and BlackBerrys a touch away.
- We’re afraid we’ll be left out if we slow down.
- We do it to avoid dealing with the big issues, such as death, AIDS and terrorism.
- Americans don’t know how not to be busy.
Essentially, Hallowell explained, being busy is our way of feeling in control of our lives–until our busywork spirals out of control. Many people who might be able to enjoy some downtime because their children are in school or they do not have paying jobs, pile errands on top of volunteering on top of working out on top of, well, you name it. When the children get out of school, they race from one activity to another, and if at some point life seems to calm down, then it is time to take on a big construction project, get a dog or have another baby.
