Are We Doing Too Much ?

Do you feel you are too busy? If so, you are by no means alone. “Everybody, everywhere seems to be busy,” reports the magazine The Economist.

 

In a 2015 survey of full-time workers in eight countries, many respondents said that they find it hard to meet the demands of both their work and their home-life.

 

Causes included increased responsibilities at work or at home, rising expenses, and longer working hours.

In the United States, for example, full-time employees report working an average of 47 hours a week. Nearly 1 in 5 claimed to work 60 hours or more!

The average Irish working week is 39 hours and the legal maximum 48 hours

Nigeria is also home to the world's longest working week, at 48.2 hours on average

In another survey, this one involving 36 countries, over one quarter of the respondents said that they often felt rushed even in their leisure time!

Children too can be affected if overloaded with tightly scheduled activities.

When we constantly try to do more than time may allow, we can become stressed​—victims of what has been termed “time pressure.” But is it possible to live a more balanced life? What role do our beliefs, choices, and goals play? First, consider four reasons why some try to do too much.

 

REASONS

1 THE DESIRE TO PROVIDE WELL FOR ONE’S FAMILY

You hear parents say “I did it because there was always something better that I wanted to give my kids. I wanted them to have the things I never had.” Despite their good motives, parents need to examine their priorities. Some studies suggest that both adults and children who attach a lot of importance to money and material possessions tend to be less happy, less satisfied with life, and less healthy physically than those who are not materialistic.

In an effort to position their children for future success, some parents overschedule both their children and themselves with various activities. Such well-meaning parents, says the book Putting Family First, “are acting like recreation directors on a turbo-charged family cruise ship

 

2 THE BELIEF THAT ‘MORE IS BETTER’

Advertisers bombard us constantly with what we are supposedly depriving ourselves if we don’t buy their latest products. Says The Economist: “The explosion of available goods has only made time feel more crunched,” as consumers “struggle to choose what to buy, watch or eat” in the limited time they have available.

 

3 TRYING TO SATISFY THE EXPECTATIONS OF OTHERS

Some employees work gruelling hours to avoid displeasing their employer. Co-workers can also exert pressure by making others feel guilty if they do not stay late. And then there is the major economic uncertainty, which can make people more willing to work longer hours or to be constantly on call.

Similarly, parents can feel pressured to conform to the hectic pace of other families.  If they do not conform, they may feel guilty about “depriving” their children.

 

4 THE PURSUIT OF STATUS AND SELF-FULFILLMENT

We hear "I felt like I had to prove myself.” story of my life (rolls eye), many of us feel a strong connection between our self-image and our pace of and in life. The result? “Busyness has acquired social status,“The busier you are the more important you seem.”

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