Feeling Extremely Busy Can Damage Brain Health, Says Yale Psychologist

A lot of us feel that we are busy and overwhelmed with work. Many working professionals complain that they do not get time for themselves or with their family or friends. Now, a professor at Yale University Laurie Santos has stated that feeling extremely busy or like you don't have time for what you wish to do, can cause damage to brain health, as per a report in CNBC. This phenomenon is also called "time famine", essentially meaning the feeling of having too much to do but not enough time to do it.

According to her, this can lead to less productivity since it makes a person unhappy. It can lead to poorer work performance and burnout, which is as harmful to a person's mental health as being unemployed. She said at SXSW earlier this month, "I think we feel strapped for time because we think working ... as much as we work all the time is essential for achieving the things we want to achieve in life."

However, Ms Santos said that there are three easy strategies to overcome "time famine," by building "time affluence" and enhancing your mental well-being. She added that everyone should "think about time the way we think about money."

She stated that many experts practice time blocking by which they can move their to-do lists onto their calendars. This helps people to dedicate time for each task including meal breaks, focused work time, phone calls and meetings. However, the Yale psychologist says that it can make people feel that they do not have time to chat with their friends or colleagues or do an activity like Wordle.

According to Ms Santos, some things are best left on a to-do list and shouldn't take up room in your planner. She said that allowing yourself more uninterrupted time to concentrate on complex projects helps psychologically reduce feelings of busyness and stress, which in turn increases productivity.

The psychologist also recommends celebrating even a few minutes of freedom. It makes people happier and feel better. She continued, "Say you're in a meeting that ends early, or you finish a task ahead of schedule. Whenever you find a couple of unexpected free minutes, celebrate it. You could go for a walk, meditate even exchange pet photos with a colleague."

The Yale professor also went on to say that it is okay to spend money to get time back. "Some of the best ways to rest, recover and reward yourself do cost money," Ms Santos remarked.

She added, "If you have to work late one day, don't feel guilty eating leftovers or ordering takeout that night. If you need a couple of extra minutes to get ready for an event, and public transit or parking is unpredictable, consider splurging on an Uber."

Commenting on a common behaviour pattern among professionals, she said that most people agree to attend meetings or take on more work well in advance, but they eventually grow resentful of the time they take up. Ms Santos advised trying a "no, yay" moment instead. "The next time you turn down a small opportunity for the sake of getting something else done, set a reminder on the day it was supposed to happen. Then, instead of dreading it, you can celebrate the time you saved," she concluded.