New Delhi: The word “busy” these days is considered an honour or thing to be proud of, it is not only a stressful idea to be busy all the time, but also at the end of the if you are still unsatisfied, it can be a concerning situation. Our schedules are packed, to-do lists are endless, and social calendars rarely have a free slot. Yet despite constantly being on the move, many people find themselves feeling empty, disconnected, and deeply unfulfilled.
Why do you think we feel this way? Why do we feel empty, lonely or not satisfied even after being at work the whole day or taking up tasks and obligations without creating a barrier of no or not doing things when we don’t feel like it. The truth is, busyness doesn’t always equal meaning. We fill our days with tasks — emails, meetings, errands — but rarely pause to ask why we’re doing them. Are we working toward something we truly care about, or just reacting to demands and distractions? In the pursuit of doing more, we’ve lost touch with what matters.
Why busyness feels unsatisfying
Dr Chandni Tugnait, MD (A.M), Psychotherapist, Life Alchemist, Coach & Healer, Founder & Director, Gateway of Healing, shares that it has come to the point where busyness often serves as a mental shield. When individuals fill every moment with tasks and obligations, they create a barrier against confronting deeper questions about purpose and meaning. This “productivity paradox” manifests when people mistake movement for progress.
The human brain’s reward system bears significant responsibility. Each completed task, whether checking email or finishing household chores, triggers a small dopamine release. This creates a cycle of dependency on the temporary satisfaction of completion rather than lasting fulfilment. Digital environments exacerbate this phenomenon. The average person now switches tasks every three minutes, fragmenting attention and creating what we term “continuous partial attention.” This state prevents the deep focus necessary for meaningful engagement.
How to break the cycle
Breaking this cycle requires distinguishing between productivity and purpose. Meaningful fulfilment emerges not from the quantity of activities but from alignment with core values. When actions connect to personal meaning, even difficult work becomes energising rather than depleting. Practical solutions include regular “schedule audits” to evaluate how time allocation reflects true priorities. Implementing deliberate periods of unscheduled time, even just 30 minutes daily, creates space for reflection that busy schedules typically eliminate.
The path toward genuine fulfilment requires courage to pause the perpetual motion. By questioning whether busyness serves as achievement or avoidance, individuals can recalibrate their relationship with time. True productivity isn’t measured by crossed-off tasks but by progress toward meaningful objectives.
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