If you ask almost any Duke student how they’re doing, a default response is something along the lines of “soo busy,” “I’ve just had so much going on” or “crazy busy.” It’s a perfect go-to response, a subtle brag disguised as a complaint. Yeah we might be stressed, tired and a little annoyed, but we’re busy, and isn’t that the most important thing? At Duke, having too much homework, too many meetings and too many commitments is the norm, and it’s something we’re all a little proud of. The things we do that make us so crazy busy are generally things we’ve chosen to do. Duke students want to show how highly motivated they are by being super involved, but we also like to complain about just how hard it is to be so busy.
Like most students at Duke, I could go on about how I actually love all of the things I do here, and that I don’t know what I would cut out to have more time. But although this may be true, realistically I think most Duke students are afraid of not being super busy. Not operating at full speed isn’t something we’re used to or comfortable with. Having lots of free time implies that a person isn’t doing enough, and not doing enough is not something any of us want to be accused of. We are busy because busy is normal, and not being busy is a problem.
Dr. Edward Hallowell, author of “CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap!” writes that “On a physiological level, being “crazy busy” makes people feel important. If you are busy, then you must be in demand.” Hallowell says we get addicted to the adrenaline boost being busy gives us. However, this constant state of busyness isn’t good for us. Sometimes its good to do nothing and let our bodies and brains recharge.
It’s worth it to ask what are goals are in being so busy. In high school many of us were motivated by the goal of getting into college, and the idea that once we got in we could slow down. Now we’re in college, but we’ve set new goals life continues to be just as hectic. When do we get to relax, and just reap the benefits of our busyness? When I graduate college, I don’t want to remember my four years as only being busy and stressful. To make sure that doesn’t happen, I remind myself that crazy busy isn’t necessarily what I’m shooting for.
Article Source 1: http://bewell.stanford.edu/crazy-busy
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