SLOWING DOWN: WHY "BUSYNESS" LEADS TO MENTAL STRAIN, ANGER, ANXIETY, AND ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR

The pause is especially important for the freedom of being.
For it is in the pause that we experience the context out of which freedom comes."
​ ROLO MAY

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It feels sometimes that the world is spinning faster and faster, at a pace that makes life look as if we were watching it through the window of a high-speed train. We incessantly drive from one "errant" or "appointment" to another and, as if it wasn’t enough, we make sure to cram in "activities" for our children too, scheduling them weeks in advance for "play-dates" - and speaking of that, did you ever ask yourself how did we end up calling “play date” the act of (supposedly) unstructured, free play of children? I mean, do you think that kids really need a “date” to play? Spontaneous play –and yes, the key word here is spontaneous- has been identified by child psychologists as one of the 4 essential things children need. The other 3 are food, shelter and affection. 

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For years I've been telling my clients (and friends alike) that being busy running around doing things is not necessarily a sign of personal success. In fact, more often than not “busyness” builds a parallel life, where meaningfulness and mindfulness are reduced to accomplishing tasks and goals. “Busy” seems to have blinded and effectively incarcerated us all, becoming a virtue validated and glorified by the surrounding culture. ​

Here are four major signs of a life that is unnecessarily busy:
​(1) Stress/Mental Strain
(2) Anger/Irritability 
(3) Anxiety/Fear
(4) Compulsive Behavior
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Glorifying busyness and making it a way of living deepens the negative effects of these symptoms, leading to: social loneliness, broken relationships, addiction, bio-chemical imbalances and physical illness.

We become unable to recognize and integrate that part of ourselves that Carl Gustav Jung calls Shadow: the “dark” side of our personality: 
Guilt
          Shame
                        Fears
                                    Doubt
                                                  Impulsivity 
                                                                            Sadness and Depression
                                                                                                                                   Emotional Wounds

Busyness creates a vicious circle, for it allows us to avoid seeing and confronting precisely the sources that feed the Shadow. The issue is, many of our choices and behaviors are dictated or influenced by our Shadow. 

​What is your understanding of "busy"? How do people see busyness and idleness in your workplace, family and community? 
Do you see them related to 
Career Stress, Difficulties Finding Love or Sustaining Relationships?

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