The Hidden Cost of Busyness From Jay Papasan

From The Twenty Percenter by Jay Papasan!

January  24, 2025

“If busyness is your drug, rest will feel like stress.” — Dr. John Delony

The Hidden Cost of Busyness

University of Chicago and Shanghai Jiao Tong University researchers discovered the answer to why we just can’t sit still.* They asked participants to take a survey and choose between idleness or busyness. Option A was to hand in their survey next door and do nothing for 15 minutes. Option B was to walk across campus to deliver it, staying busy the whole time. Either way, they scored a piece of chocolate. 

Here’s the thing. Nearly twice as many participants chose busyness. They only needed a trivial justification like the type of chocolate they’d get. Even more telling, the study showed that those who stayed busy were happier. The researchers noted, “Our research suggests that many purported goals that people pursue may be merely justifications to keep themselves busy.”

This highlights something profound – we’re wired to avoid idleness. Unfortunately, this often comes at the expense of our time, energy, and priorities. It’s a tendency many successful people recognize and it’s a cornerstone of the busyness trap, which I’ve written about before.

In a recent episode of The ONE Thing podcast (Apple / Spotify), I explore the costs of busyness. Even though we may feel happier in the moment, it leads to increased stress, diminished empathy, and hindered progress on our priorities. I also share some strategies for combating busyness. 

When I’m working with someone who points to how busy they are, I immediately wonder what they are hiding from. Busyness is a great place to hide from work that matters. 

One question to ponder in your thinking time: What am I busy avoiding?

Make an Impact!Jay PapasanCo-author of The ONE Thing & The Millionaire Real Estate Agent 

* Apologies to every childhood squirmer who just suffered a flashback of their exasperated parent asking, “Why can’t you just sit still?”