Why Being “Too Busy” Is Hurting Your Career

We live in a society that encourages three harmful words, “I’m too busy.”  Too busy for time off. Too busy for time with loved ones.  Too busy for a lunch break. Too busy for a walk around the block.  Too busy to call your Mom back. Too busy to exercise. Too busy to SLOW DOWN. A study by the U.S. Travel Association and Oxford Economics found that in 2013, 42% of employees finished the year with unused time off. For the entire workforce, this equals a staggering 429 million unused days.

The problem is that being “busy” is glamorized in our country.  You don’t need to be a martyr who works a stressful 60 hours a week to advance your career.  Studies show that making time for your well-being actually enhances your productivity and creativity.  You can’t just run like a hamster on a wheel to keep up with social norms and expect to be at the top of your game at work.  Fatigue and lack of motivation eventually set in and enjoyment in your career plummets.  Something has to give.

Here’s a personal example to put things in perspective. When we recently told our British family we were coming to England to visit for a week, my Mother-In-Law very diplomatically reminded us, “You know everyone in the UK gets 6 weeks paid vacation and we take it.  So why would you just be coming for 7 BLOODY DAYS!?!?”  For the record, by UK law, it is actually a mandatory minimum of 5.6 weeks of holiday pay. My Mother-In-Law had a very valid point.  And she has a foreign perspective that is quite refreshing.  She got me thinking… are we backwards when it comes to using our PTO in the US?

Most of us intellectually know that time away is healthy.  Unplugging may not be the social norm but the benefits are transformative.  So what can we do to carve out time for our own well-being:

1. Use your PTO. It should not be a badge of honor to end the year and say, “I never took a day off.” Even if you aren’t in the financial spot or don’t have the desire to plan a vacation away, take “mental health" days.  Take a Monday off to do something you love like go for a hike, binge on a Netflix series or catch up with a friend for drinks. Make sure to use the PTO that you have earned.  It’s there for a reason.
2. Take a screen time break. We do this with our 9 year old son.  Honestly, he would love to play video games or watch movies for hours if we let him.  We set parameters.  Do this for yourself.  If it works for your line of work, set personal rules like not looking at your emails after 6:30 pm or Saturdays are off limits for any work calls or emails.  Of course, there will be exceptions but guidelines are helpful. Try your best to play by the rules you create.  Having time away from checking your phone or “putting in just one hour on your work project” is healthy.  Use the time you have during the week wisely so you can break away on evenings and weekends.
3. Don’t wait for work to slow down to make some time for you. There will always be a “To Do” list and your inbox will always be full. Your pile of work may get larger when you are away but try your best to delegate tasks so you can leave with peace of mind. There is no perfect time to get away but that doesn’t mean you should procrastinate doing so.  It is a cliché statement but nevertheless very true, life is too short.  I don’t think anyone dies wishing they worked more and spent less time with loved ones. I just haven’t heard that. So don’t wait for that lull in your work load because it probably isn’t coming.
4. Planning ahead means you have something to look forward to. I find that having a personal count down for a tropical vacation in the middle of a dreary Oregon winter is the best medicine. It’s like Prozac without a prescription.  When times get really stressful, I can take a minute and day dream about what my week in the sunshine will look and feel like. I actually paint a picture in my head of laying on a beach with a pina colada in hand. Also, by planning ahead, I can get things taken care of at work so I come back to less of a load.  But ultimately, the countdown to my time away is nearly as enjoyable as the vacation.  The anticipation is fun and it makes the time off more special.

We only get so many hours in our lives so we must make them meaningful.  Dolly Parton really said this best, "Don't get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life."