Busy life syndrome: How to recognise and put an end to it
Our pace of life is quite often too much, not only in regard to work, but also preparing meals, taking the kids to school and running errands such as going to the bank, among other activities which are urgent during the day, so it is very common to hear "I have so many things to do that I completely forgot,". Not only is this a lame excuse, but it may actually be true that among so many tasks, we forget to make time for the more important things. However this situation can become a recurring theme and after a while the excuse "I forgot" loses its validity and becomes nothing more than that: A lame excuse. With all that said, the true diagnosis could be "busy lifestyle syndrome".
If, for example, you forget to make a payment and you do not realise until the service is suspended, or if you cannot find keys which you are, in fact, holding in your hands, you might be experiencing this syndrome.
When does it happen?
This syndrome is recognised when an activity (or various activities as is the case for many people) is so strenuous and extreme that it invades the time which should be used to devote to other activities.
It affects the concentration and memory of young people, attracting attention and even influencing the marketing of vitamin products developed to enhance our memory. However, these products do not offer a real solution, but finding the balance.
Busy life syndrome develops when our productive activity takes up too much of our time, this does not only apply to paid work, but it can also occur in people who spend all of their time at home for example.
How is it harmful?
When your priority activity exceeds your reasonable limits, you often forget to enjoy the activities you used to enjoy doing, for example you attend social gatherings as a commitment and do not enjoy yourself. Perhaps you start to isolate yourself and you become irritable. If you find yourself suffering from any of these symptoms in your life, you're probably suffering from busy life syndrome.
What's more, it doesn't just stop there: Neuropsychological level thinking, concentration, memory and attention are damaged by stress. When you limit your personal rest time, you are forcing the brain to produce excitatory neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, which is related to the autonomous system which keeps you alive, glutamate, which is involved in memory processes, dopamine which produces pleasure and acetylcholine which vitalises muscles.
In short, your body experiences a sense of pleasure that limits you and keeps you feeling stressed, i.e. a situation that is addictive involves memory loss and a lack of concentration.
Get your life back on track
To return to your normal life and overcome this syndrome, it is important that you organise your time properly, assign priorities and seek to limit the time you spend on doing your productive activity:
- Solve one thing at a time. Do not try to end a month of outstanding work in one day. Tackle the most urgent priority first and take it one step at a time.
- Enjoy your entertainment: You might think you do not have time for it, but "not doing anything" is also an important part of your life, so take the opportunity to relax when you can.
- Perform a recreational activity that demands skills: Activities such as drawing, singing and dancing can be excellent choices to relax and disconnect from your daily responsibilities.
- Stay in touch with others: Talk about common themes or topics that are of interest or which may favour new knowledge.
- Every two hours, take a break from your work to stand up, walk or drink some water and clear your mind.