A Psychological Reason Behind the Urge to Stay Busy
How to overcome idleness aversion
Picture this: You’ve had a super productive week; you’ve accomplished a lot of tasks on your to-do list. It’s the end of the week, and your downtime has finally arrived!
But your restless mind still struggles with catching the much-needed rest.
After all, you love being busy and the chase of being productive all the time. The thought of stepping away from work seems daunting.
You’re anxious and depressed, and above all, overly stressed at not being able to relax. It’s not that you don’t want to take the time off for yourself, it’s just that your mind is telling you not to.
You’ve experienced something called “idleness aversion.”
What is Idleness Aversion?
This concept was developed by Christopher K. Hsee, a researcher at the University of Chicago. In the paper he published in Psychological Science titled Idleness Aversion and the Need for Justifiable Busyness, he explains that there are many reasons people choose to be busy. A person may experience idleness aversions for different reasons:
- Societal pressure
- Personal expectations
- Strong work ethic
