225: Are You Addicted to Being Busy? The Psychology Behind Constant Busyness

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Are You Addicted to Being Busy? The Psychology Behind Constant Busyness

Feel guilty when you're not overwhelmed? You might be addicted to being busy. This episode explores the psychology of keeping busy and helps entrepreneurs distinguish between productive busyness and compulsive busyness as a coping mechanism.

Host Cindy Gordon, Reality Check Method coach for female entrepreneurs, reveals why constant busyness has become a status symbol and how it can actually prevent business growth. Perfect for overwhelmed business owners who struggle to enjoy downtime and measure their worth by how packed their calendar is.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The psychology behind why some people need constant activity and stimulation
• How busyness becomes a coping mechanism for avoiding uncomfortable feelings
• The difference between productive engagement and avoidance behavior
• Why empty calendar blocks might make you anxious instead of grateful
• Simple reality check questions to assess if your busyness serves you or controls you
• How to create "white space" in your schedule without guilt

Episode Highlights: "When being busy becomes your primary identity, slowing down feels like losing yourself." "Sometimes we unconsciously choose smaller, easier tasks because they provide quick wins and keep us moving." "Constant motion often creates the illusion of progress without actual movement toward your goals."

Stop using busyness as a badge of honor and start creating space for strategic thinking. Get Cindy's Reality Check Method at ExclusivelyCindy.com and follow @exclusivelycindy for daily reminders that your worth isn't measured by how overwhelmed you feel.

💡 Don't forget to subscribe for more quick productivity tips for overwhelmed business owners and female entrepreneurs!

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Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exclusivelycindy/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cindygordon

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Do you feel guilty when you'renot overwhelmed?
Like somehow being busy meansyou're important, valuable, or
successful?
If the thought of having nothingon your calendar makes you
slightly panic, or if you findyourself adding tasks just to
feel productive, you might beaddicted to being busy and
you're definitely not alone.

(00:21):
Hi, I'm Cindy Gordon, aself-made entrepreneur, busy mom
and reality check method coachfor entrepreneurs.
I've built and sold multipledigital businesses, and I've
discovered that for many of us,busyness has become less about
productivity and more aboutproving our worth to ourselves
and others.

(00:41):
Today I am sharing a mindsetshift that helped me recognize
when my busyness was serving meversus when it was serving my
anxiety.
If you like tips and tricks justlike this, join 1400 other
entrepreneurs on my email listto stay motivated and on track
link in the show.

(01:02):
This is a recurring theme withthe incredible women in my
community.
They tell me that they can't sitstill, can't enjoy downtime, and
feel productive only whenthey're juggling multiple
projects the moment theirschedule has breathing room.
They feel lazy, unimportant, orlike they're falling behind.
But here's what's reallyhappening.

(01:23):
Our culture has turned busynessinto a status symbol.
Being swamped means you're indemand.
Having back-to-back meetingsmeans you're important.
Working nights and weekendsmeans you're dedicated.
But somehow along the way, westarted confusing.
Busy with being successful, forentrepreneurs, this gets even

(01:43):
more complicated because there'salways more to do.
There's always another client topursue another system, to
optimize another marketingstrategy to try the never ending
nature of business growth canmake constant busyness feel not
just normal.
But necessary.
The psychology of this issimpler than you think, but it's

(02:05):
important to understand becauseawareness is always the first
step to change.
When you're constantly busy,your brain gets a steady stream
of small accomplishments andimmediate feedback.
Each completed task releases atiny hit of dopamine, making you
feel productive and valuable.

(02:27):
But here's what's happeningunderneath.
For many people, constantbusyness becomes a way to avoid
sitting with uncomfortablefeelings like uncertainty.
Self-doubt or fear of the futurewhen you're always in motion,
always checking things off yourlist, you don't have time to
face the bigger questions aboutwhether you're headed in the

(02:47):
right direction.
There's also a social componentand our culture, I'm busy, has
become the default response to,how are you?
It's how we signal that we'reneeded successful and living a
full life.
But when being busy becomes yourprimary identity, slowing down
feels like you're losingyourself.
So here's how to reality checkwhether your busyness is

(03:09):
actually serving you orcontrolling you.
So you're gonna start with anhonest self-assessment.
Ask yourself what happens when Ihave unscheduled time.
Do you feel at peace andgrateful, or do you feel
restless and guilty?
If an empty calendar block makesyou feel anxious rather than
excited, that's your first cluethat busyness might be serving

(03:32):
an emotional need rather than aproductive one.
Then you need to examine yourtask selection.
Are you choosing activitiesbased upon impact and
importance?
Or are you gravitating towardtasks that make you feel busy?
Sometimes we unconsciouslychoose smaller, easier tasks
because they provide quick winsand keep us moving even when

(03:54):
bigger, more important workwould serve our goals better.
And finally, check yourmotivation.
Are you staying busy toaccomplish specific outcomes?
Are you staying busy to feelworthy, valuable, and in
control?
There's nothing wrong withneeding to feel productive, but
when busyness becomes yourprimary source of self-worth,

(04:15):
it's time for a gentle reality.
Check when slowing down makesyou feel vulnerable.
Remind yourself that rest andreflection aren't lazy.
Their strategic, some of yourbest business ideas, clearest
decisions, and most creativesolutions happen when your mind
has space to breathe.
Build this into your routine byscheduling white space blocks of

(04:38):
time with no agenda.
Start small, maybe 15 minutes aday where you're not allowed to
be productive.
Just sit, think, do nothing.
Notice what comes up for youwithout judgment.
The biggest obstacle is usuallyfear that if we slow down,
you'll fall behind or missopportunities.

(04:58):
But here's the reality check.
Constant motion often createsthe illusion of progress without
actual movement towards yourgoals.
Sometimes slowing down helps yousee that you've been busy
running in circles.
To maintain momentum, trackoutcomes, not activities.
Instead of measuring how manytasks you completed, measure how

(05:19):
much progress you made towardsyour most important goals.
This helps shift your focus frombeing busy to being effective.
Here's what I want you toremember from today.
There's nothing wrong with beingbusy when it serves a purpose,
if your busyness has becomecompulsive, if you can't enjoy
your downtime, or if you'reusing constant motion to avoid

(05:41):
difficult feelings, it's timefor a gentle reality check.
You need to distinguish betweenyour productive busyness and
your protective busyness.
Your worth isn't measured by howpacked your calendar is or how
overwhelmed you feel your actionstep for today is to schedule 15
minutes of white space somewherein your day.

(06:04):
No agenda, no productivitygoals, just space to breathe and
see what comes up for you.
Now, go give yourself permissionto slow down without guilt, and
remember, you've got this.

Speaker (06:17):
Thanks for spending these few minutes with me today.
Remember, overwhelm isn'tpermanent.
It's simply your brain's way ofsaying pause and take a little
reality check.
If this was helpful, you'll lovemy weekly email tips where I
share the systems that keep meand hundreds of other
entrepreneurs on Track Link inthe show notes.
If you got value in today'sepisode, please share it with

(06:38):
another entrepreneur who needsthat reminder.
If you're loving the show, I'dbe so grateful if you could
leave me a quick review.
It helps other overwhelmedentrepreneurs find us.
Make sure you hit subscribe soyou never miss your weekly dose
of clarity.
For more resources and toconnect with me, visit
exclusively cindy.com.
Until next time, remember you'vegot this.