Busy for the Sake of Busy: When Busyness Becomes a Badge of Honor
When I first came to Switzerland, I noticed something that stayed with me. My 70-year-old Western mother-in-law was constantly busy, rushing from one task to another in a household of only two people, with both a gardener and a maid. I asked her why she was so busy, and my question did not go down well. That experience opened my eyes to a bigger truth: in some cultures, busyness itself is seen as a virtue. It doesn’t matter if the tasks are necessary or impactful; what matters is looking active.
The Culture of Busyness
In much of the Western world, “being busy” has become a status symbol. A full calendar signals worth, importance, and productivity, even if the output doesn’t match the activity. It’s a cultural badge of honor, worn proudly but often hiding exhaustion or inefficiency.
Why People Stay Busy (Even When Output Doesn’t Improve)
Cultural norms & status: In many places, busyness = importance. People fear being judged if they slow down.
Workplace pressure: In organizations that reward visibility, people perform “productivity theater,” looking busy to protect their jobs.
Fear of looking “old”: Older employees may over-signal activity to avoid being seen as slowing down or “not up for it.”
Identity & worth: If productivity equals self-worth, stopping feels like losing relevance.
Avoidance: Constant motion can distract from harder questions about purpose and priorities.
Cultural Prejudices & Contrasts
Western pace: Rushing is equated with efficiency. Even senior citizens wear busyness as proof of duty and value.
African & Southern pace: Slower rhythms focus on presence and relationships. Outsiders often misread this as laziness, the old prejudice of “lazy Africans” or “southerners who nap.” Practices like siestas, being unreachable at lunch, or fully switching off on holidays reflect boundaries and balance, not inefficiency.
East Asian practices: In Korea and Japan, short naps at the desk (Japan’s inemuri) or the use of company rest rooms are accepted ways to recharge. What might look like laziness elsewhere is seen as commitment to sustaining long workdays.
Emerging Western shifts: Some forward-thinking Western companies have begun offering quiet “resting rooms” (not bathrooms), nap pods, and recovery spaces, a quiet recognition that real productivity requires rest.
The Retreat Paradox
Many busy professionals pay to attend wellness retreats to escape the hamster wheel, then recreate busyness there: 5 a.m. meditation, lunchtime yoga, and back-to-back “relaxation” sessions. It’s busyness disguised as wellness, leaving little room for genuine stillness.
What Covid Revealed
The pandemic showed that much of the same work could be done in half the time when commutes and endless meetings disappeared. It also highlighted the value of social interactions, coffee breaks, hallway chats, and informal collaboration, that support belonging and creativity. Productivity is not just about output; it is also about human connection.
The Cost of Busyness
Burnout and chronic stress
Reduced creativity and poorer decisions
Surface-level work that misses long-term impact
Cultures of fear and presenteeism that exclude slower, older, or culturally different colleagues
What Leaders Can Do
Redefine productivity: Reward outcomes, not appearances. Ask, “What value did this work create?”
Model balance: Take breaks, design meeting-light days, and protect deep-work time for yourself and your team.
Challenge stereotypes: Stop equating slower pace with laziness; stop equating youth and speed with effectiveness.
Value older employees: Recognize wisdom, mentoring, and systems thinking, not just visible hustle.
Design for focus: Fewer meetings, clearer priorities, async collaboration, and real recovery (including rest rooms).
Manage across cultures: Learn the local rhythm. In transcultural teams, agree on norms for response times, breaks, and holidays.
What Employees Can Do (Especially in Transcultural Settings)
Show value, not just activity: Communicate outcomes and learning, not hours.
Set respectful boundaries: Block focus time; take real lunch breaks; switch off on holidays. Consistency builds trust.
Bridge styles: If you come from a slower culture working in a faster one, explain your quality-first approach. If you come from a faster culture in a slower one, resist judging colleagues as lazy.
Use transparency: Share progress (weekly notes, shared boards) so work is visible without performance theater.
Take micro-rests: Short walks, breathing, mindful pauses. Rest sharpens focus more than forcing through.
Keep learning: Stay adaptable with digital skills and cross-cultural competence, especially powerful for older employees.
Eastern Wisdom
Traditions influenced by Buddhism and Taoism emphasize mindfulness, simplicity, and balance. The Buddha’s teaching on dukkha (suffering) points to the harm of constant striving; Taoist wu wei suggests “effortless action,” working with the grain of life instead of against it. These ideas don’t reject effort; they reject needless struggle. They invite us to measure success by clarity, not by noise.
A Reflective Question
The real question isn’t “How busy are you?” It’s “How effective are you?”
Busyness may look impressive, but effectiveness leaves a legacy.
