find 4 me

To answer this question, we probably need to first agree what in fact an addiction means. In my opinion an addiction is typically something that you crave, find it difficult to live without and long term abuse will result in damage to yourself and potentially others.

In order to determine if being busy is addictive; let's examine each of these parts, the first being 'Is it something that you crave?' In the case of being busy, I suppose this can be best expressed as how comfortable are you to sit still? One way to test this craving is whether you are ever content to be alone or idle. This is such a difficult one to evaluate as there are so many factors that contribute to the need to keep busy. I am quite an introverted person so I am quite happy to spend extended periods alone but when I am trying to avoid something, I will typically keep myself busy. So, perhaps we crave being busy to sooth or avoid an uncomfortable or painful reality? Or there are those amongst us that simply don't like to sit still? Either way, it seems that being busy certainly has the potential to satisfy a craving or need in us.

This leads me to the second element of addiction which asks 'Is this something that you can live without?' As much as we complain about being busy, this is the point where you really question your motivations. There is certainly an argument that we refer to being busy as an excuse or justification for our behaviour. Far too often, I hear myself say 'I'm sorry. I have just been so busy!' There is a strong possibility that perhaps being busy holds a status that elevates us in the eyes of our peers. Just as our constant connectivity through mobile technologies has changed our behaviour, perhaps it has also created a desire to be perceived as busy. There is a certain attitude these days that if you are not answering messages, taking a phone call, working or socializing, then you could not possibly be doing anything of meaning with yourself. Whether it is personal perception or social reality, all the evidence suggests to me that either being busy is difficult to live without or social expectations have significantly shifted, because everywhere you look, you will find somebody that is busy. Given that there are very few circumstances in life when we do not have a choice, I would suggest that the latter is the case and being busy has in fact become hard to live without.

So, we have determined that we can crave being busy and find it difficult to live without. Lastly, will being busy potentially result in damage to yourself or others? Again, I think this probably comes down to individual personality types and our respective needs.

I can certainly see that in my case being busy does not have a positive impact on my health and wellbeing. A few of the impacts that I have observed are lower levels of exercise and energy; poor eating patterns and lower concentration levels. All of these things typically stem from a lack of rest or 'down time', so that I never feel completely revived or restored.

The other aspect of my life that is impacted by being busy is in my ability to make conscious choices about how to spend my time. Once you create a busy lifestyle, then it will continue to demand your attention. This can reach the point where you are no longer your own master because you are always supposed to be somewhere or doing something. In my case, this leads to feelings of guilt because I feel like I am constantly disappointing others. It is hard to stop or take time out because there is the constant reminder that you should be doing something else. When this starts to happen, then in my view that has a negative impact on both yourself and others, because you have lost an element of control over your life and are less equipped to manage your relationships in a meaningful manner.

With all of this in mind, as much as being busy can be manageable for a period of time or required due to very real demands in our lives, over an extended period it seems it has the potential to become both addictive and damaging.