If you ask many students how they are doing, you will get a different variation of the same answer: I am busy. Busy with homework, busy with practice, busy with a job, busy with college applications. Before you know it, “busy” goes from being a state of mind to being a way of life.
The world has never been busier. The student body of today is busier than ever. We are being pulled in every direction: school, homework, jobs, and family. We are expected to be productive members of society. Downtime is something we do not have much of and something we do not really need. The busier you are, the better you look to everyone around you.When did burnout become something to brag about?
There has been an unspoken competition to see who is the busiest person. The conversation has shifted to see who is the most stressed out. The more errands you run and the more things you are committed to, the more important you are to everyone around you. Downtime is awkward and frowned upon.
The problem is that no one talks about it. When “busy” defines you, you lose yourself to “busy.” Hobbies are forgotten, and your social life consists of short phone calls between activities.
According to many psychologists, being busy is actually a way to avoid life. If you are always busy with something, you never have to face the questions life asks of you. If you are always busy with something, you never have to face yourself.
High school is a time for exploration. Exploration happens during downtime. This consists of hanging out with friends and engaging in hobbies that are not necessarily productive.
It is great that you are busy and involved and driven. It is great that you are a high school student with a busy schedule. Who you are, however, is not defined by what you do and how busy you are. Who you are is not defined by “Busy.” Who you are is defined by the quiet moments, the laughter after school, the hobbies you lose track of time doing and the dreams you nurture when no one is measuring your productivity.
