Why Do We Feel So Much Busier Than Before?

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Introduction 
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Two working weeks into the New Year, and I already feel as though I have worked for the last six weeks. Despite a good Christmas break, I was left exhausted by the end of last week. I was chatting with a colleague about why it felt busier, even though we all think that we ease into work at the start of the year – except if you are an accountant or auditor who typically has a very busy January due to the end-of-year accounts. So, I asked my colleague, 'Why do we feel so much busier than before?' – a common refrain that echoes across virtual and physical offices. We discussed the addition of meetings, the renewed importance placed on communication rather than creativity or innovation due to hybrid work, and other reasons. This isn't just anecdotal – the transformation of our work patterns since 2020 has created a measurable increase in work intensity that affects knowledge workers across industries. 

The Science 
Research from multiple sources reveals a dramatic shift in work patterns and intensity. Microsoft's Work Trend Index (2022) documented the digital overload phenomenon and the extension of the average workday in remote settings. The University of California Irvine's research on task-switching and cognitive load provides insights into how digital interruptions affect productivity and stress levels. 

Key Findings 

• Meeting time increased by 252 per cent between February 2020 and February 2022 for the average Teams user, and the workday span for the average Teams user increased by more than 13 per cent (46 minutes) since March 2020 (Microsoft Work Trend Index 2022). 

• The number of weekly meetings increased by 153 per cent globally since February 2020 (Work Trend Index Special Report). 

• The average employee spends 57 per cent of their time communicating (in meetings, email, and chat) and 43 per cent creating (in documents, spreadsheets, and presentations) (2023 Work Trend Index: Annual Report). 

• Gloria Mark's research on interruption and task switches is instructive. It takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to return to the original task after an interruption, and interrupted work may be completed faster but at the cost of increased stress, frustration, time pressure, and effort. It can also result in a bad mood and lower productivity, so many of us feel tired or stressed at the end of the working week. 

• Mark argues that frequent context switching (every 10.5 minutes) prevents deep thinking and achieving flow states. This constant interruption hinders the ability to engage in complex problem-solving and creative tasks. 

What This Means 
These findings reveal three critical shifts in our work lives: 

1. Digital overwhelm has become normalised, with multiple communication channels demanding simultaneous attention. I believe this is driven by productivity paranoia: where leaders fear that lost productivity is due to employees not working, even though hours worked, number of meetings, and other activity metrics have increased. Microsoft research shows that 85 per cent of leaders say the shift to hybrid work has made it challenging to have confidence that employees are being productive, and for us employees to prove that we are productive, we succumb to the digital overwhelm or create the digital overwhelm ourselves to prove that we are working. 
2. Work-home boundaries have eroded, leading to longer hours and increased stress. This is no longer a phenomenon from the pandemic. Whilst there are upsides to flexible work-home boundaries, such as increased autonomy and the ability to attend to work and non-work responsibilities promptly, the blurred boundaries have also led to increased pressure for many workers. 
3. The not-so-new 'hidden work' of digital collaboration and virtual relationship maintenance has been added to existing responsibilities. Working digitally means we lose the context that we have when we are together, so when we are not together, all of the coordination (e.g., working across time zones), communication, and building trust becomes an extra effort to create context and ensure that we are all pulling together to deliver. This skill often goes unacknowledged and unappreciated and adds to both the physical and cognitive load. 
4. Fragmented attention and diminished deep work capacity have become the norm. Gloria Mark's research reveals the detrimental effects of frequent interruptions and task switching on our ability to engage in focused, high-quality work. Workers are constantly battling cognitive disruptions. Doing a straightforward mathematics calculation, if a staff member worked eight hours a day (480 minutes), 100 per cent of the eight-hour workday could be consumed by interruptions and refocusing, and the worker would have little to no productive time left if interruptions were to occur every 10.5 minutes and refocusing took over 23 minutes each time. This constant state of divided attention is eroding our capacity for deep, meaningful work, potentially impacting innovation and long-term productivity in knowledge-based industries. 

Global Perspectives on Work Intensity 

Whilst this post has focused primarily on Western work culture, it's crucial to understand that increased work intensity is a global phenomenon with varied manifestations across different cultures and economies. In Japan, for instance, the concept of 'karoshi' – death by overwork – has been a recognised occupational hazard since the 1980s. Recent data from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare shows that despite government efforts, cases of karoshi remain alarmingly high, with over 200 cases reported annually. 
Conversely, Scandinavian countries have been at the forefront of work-life balance initiatives. Sweden's experiment with a six-hour workday, whilst not universally adopted, has shown promising results in sectors like healthcare, with increased productivity and employee satisfaction. 

In emerging economies like India and China, the rapid pace of economic growth has led to a culture of overwork, particularly in tech hubs like Bangalore and Shenzhen. However, there's a growing awareness of the need for balance, with companies increasingly offering wellness programmes and flexible work arrangements. These global perspectives highlight that whilst increased busyness is a widespread issue, cultural and economic factors play a significant role in how it's experienced and addressed. 

Industry-Specific Impacts 
The experience of increased work intensity varies significantly across different sectors: 

1. Tech Industry: In Silicon Valley and other tech hubs, the 'always-on' culture has reached new heights. A 2024 survey by TechCrunch found that 78 per cent of tech workers regularly work outside of standard hours, with 45 per cent reporting that they feel the need to be available 24/7. 
2. Healthcare: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing pressures on healthcare workers. A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that 62 per cent of healthcare professionals report symptoms of burnout, up from 42 per cent in 2019. 
3. Education: The shift to hybrid learning models has significantly increased educators' workloads. A 2024 report by the National Education Association shows that teachers now work an average of 52 hours per week, up from 47 hours in 2020. 
4. Finance: The rise of algorithmic trading and 24-hour global markets has intensified work in the financial sector. A Bloomberg survey indicates that 68 per cent of finance professionals feel more time-pressured now than five years ago. 

The Positive Side of Busyness 
Whilst the negative impacts of increased work intensity are well-documented, it's important to acknowledge that there can be positive aspects to being busier: 

1. Skill Development: The fast-paced work environment has accelerated skill acquisition for many professionals. A LinkedIn Learning report shows that employees in 2024 are learning new skills three times faster than in 2019. 
2. Increased Productivity: For some, a busier schedule has led to improved time management and efficiency. A study in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that employees who reported feeling 'optimally busy' were 22 per cent more productive than those who felt under-utilised. 
3. Innovation and Adaptability: The pressure to do more with less has fostered innovation in many industries. For example, the rapid development of mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how urgency can drive scientific breakthroughs. 
4. Career Advancement: In some cases, taking on more responsibilities and showcasing the ability to manage multiple tasks has led to faster career progression. A 2024 Gallup poll found that employees who reported being 'very busy' were 1.5 times more likely to have received a promotion in the past year. 

Several strategies exist to address the challenges of increased busyness, both for individuals and organisations. For individuals, creating artificial work-home separations, implementing digital detoxes, using time-blocking techniques like the Pomodoro method, and practicing mindfulness can help manage cognitive load. Organisations can contribute by adopting asynchronous communication tools, conducting regular meeting audits, and offering flexible work arrangements. Salesforce's 'Focus Time' initiative, which resulted in significant improvements in employee satisfaction (by 15 per cent) and productivity (by 10 per cent), demonstrates the potential of such approaches. However, this post isn't about prescribing solutions; it's about prompting you to reflect on why you feel busier than before. As we 2025 rolls on, consider what cognitive or physical load you need to offload in both your professional and personal life. 

To thrive as humans, being able to reclaim control over our time and attention is important. Many of us can’t stop the wave of increased busyness but it shouldn't come at the cost of our health and happiness. 

A Quote to Reflect On 
'Busy is not the same as productive. The challenge of our time is not managing time – it's managing our energy and attention.' – Cal Newport 

A Question to Reflect On 
What recurring meetings or digital habits in your workday exist simply because they were necessary during the pandemic, and how might eliminating them create space for more meaningful work? 

Further Reading 

• Microsoft Work Trend Index Annual Report 2022 

• 'Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World' by Cal Newport 

• Mark, G., Gudith, D., & Klocke, U. (2008, April). The cost of interrupted work: more speed and stress. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 107-110). 

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