BUSYNESS ADDICTION?: The Hidden Cost of Constant Motion

When was the last time you felt truly rested? For most high-performing leaders, the answer reveals an uncomfortable reality: we've become addicted to busyness, mistaking constant motion for productivity and purpose.

One clear sign you've reached the breaking point comes when you catch yourself giving advice you don't follow. You hear yourself recommending balance to clients while working through weekends. You advocate strategic thinking while operating reactively. This disconnect signals your need for recovery before burnout takes hold.

The Recovery Distinction

Rest differs fundamentally from unplugging completely. Complete disconnection often signals burnout has already occurred. True rest means giving your mind, body, and spirit time to recover and rebuild—similar to how muscles grow stronger during recovery periods, not during the workout.

For someone hardwired to go 90 miles per hour (like me), intentional recovery requires deliberate choices. I must force myself to engage in activities that aren't obligations but genuine sources of renewal. Sometimes, that means going for a bike ride instead of answering emails. Other times, it means picking up my guitar after neglecting it for months.

I recently experienced this when I played guitar for my children—something they hadn't seen me do in almost two years. Their excitement reminded me how much I'd been missing personally and professionally. These moments of creative expression connect me to who I am beyond my work, making me more effective when I return to it.

The Adrenaline Addiction

Many high-performers, especially entrepreneurs and executives, develop a dependency on adrenaline. When you run your own business, and nobody pays you to wake up in the morning, stress becomes your drug of choice—the "hunt-kill-eat" cycle that drives productivity but undermines wellbeing.

This addiction creates a paradox: even when overwhelmed by stress, part of you craves it. The worst feeling for an adrenaline addict isn't stress—it's calm. Many leaders unconsciously start looking for new fires or unwittingly creating them when all the fires are out.

I've seen this pattern in my life and the executives I work with. Endless meetings, constant emails, and perpetual urgency create a chaotic environment that feels simultaneously overwhelming and necessary. Breaking free requires recognizing that stress, busyness, and chaos aren't normal—we've simply normalized them.

Breaking the Cycle

Recovery begins with acknowledging your addiction to busyness. When you find yourself in withdrawal from adrenaline—that uncomfortable feeling when things slow down—resist the urge to create new problems to solve.

Instead, use that moment to step away from your environment. Go for a walk. Engage in an activity that has nothing to do with work. Force yourself to think about something other than the stressful environment you claim to hate but subconsciously seek.

Remember that your goal in life extends beyond making it to your deathbed.

If you want to make a meaningful impact and leave a legacy worth celebrating, you must step away from what drains your energy and reconnect with what renews it.

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TAKE Action 

1. Identify your signs of adrenaline addiction. When do you create unnecessary urgency or drama?

2. List three non-work activities that genuinely renew your energy rather than depleting it.

3. Schedule at least one of these activities this week—and treat it with the same commitment as your most important meeting.

4. Practice recognizing productive stress and destructive chaos in your daily work.

Rest gives you perspective, clarity, and the ability to appreciate where you are while celebrating how far you've come. If you're serious about making a long-term impact, start by breaking your addiction to busyness.

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