You know that feeling where you’ve done everything on your list but somehow accomplished absolutely nothing? It’s a specific kind of exhaustion. I’ve been running around lately—not literally, though my step counter is doing okay—but mentally, emotionally, and professionally. It’s that frantic, low-level vibration of modern life where you’re constantly "on" but never actually "there." We live in a culture that treats busyness as a status symbol. If you aren't overwhelmed, are you even trying?
Honestly, it’s a trap.
When we say I’ve been running around, we’re usually describing a state of high-friction living. You’re answering emails at stoplights. You’re thinking about dinner while you’re in a meeting. You’re scrolling TikTok to "relax," but your brain is actually just processing a thousand micro-stimuli that leave you more fried than when you started. It’s the "running around" paradox: the more ground you try to cover, the less you actually experience.
The Psychology of the Constant Hustle
Why do we do this to ourselves? Researchers often point to something called the "busyness paradox." A study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that people perceive individuals who are "busy" as having higher status. We’ve replaced actual leisure with the performance of productivity.
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Think about it.
When someone asks how you are, "I’m so busy" is the standard response. It’s a shield. It protects us from having to admit we might be drifting. But underneath that shield, there’s a real physiological cost. Your cortisol levels spike. Your prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain responsible for complex decision-making—starts to flicker out because it’s being bypassed by the amygdala’s "fight or flight" response. You aren't making choices anymore; you're just reacting.
I’ve been running around is often a symptom of "Decision Fatigue." According to social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister, we have a finite store of mental energy for making choices. By the time you’ve decided what to wear, which route to take to work, and how to word that delicate email to your boss, your brain is spent. So, you start running in circles. You choose the easiest, most frantic path rather than the most effective one.
The Cost of Digital Ubiquity
We can’t talk about this without mentioning the rectangle in your pocket. It’s the ultimate "running around" tool.
- Push notifications break your flow state every 11 minutes on average.
- It takes about 23 minutes to get back into deep focus after an interruption.
- The math doesn’t add up.
Most people are living in a state of permanent interruption. You think you’re multitasking, but humans are actually terrible at it. What we’re doing is "context switching." Each switch carries a cognitive tax. You lose a percentage of your IQ every time you jump from a spreadsheet to a Slack message and back again. Over a day, that adds up to a lot of wasted movement.
I’ve Been Running Around: Identifying the Breaking Point
How do you know when the "running around" has crossed the line from "productive week" to "imminent burnout"?
It usually shows up in the small things first. You lose your keys. You forget an appointment you’ve had on the calendar for a month. You find yourself staring at the fridge for three minutes, wondering what you went in there for. These aren't just "senior moments"—they are your brain’s way of saying the RAM is full.
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Physical symptoms follow. Tension headaches are a big one. So is that weird tightness in your shoulders that feels like you’re wearing a heavy coat you can’t take off. If you’re waking up at 3:00 AM thinking about a task you forgot, you aren't just busy. You're over-leveraged.
The Difference Between Movement and Progress
There’s a great quote often attributed to Alfred Montapert: "Do not confuse motion with accomplishment."
A rocking horse moves constantly but goes nowhere.
When I’ve been running around is your default state, you’re the rocking horse. You might be answering 200 emails, but are you moving your career forward? You might be attending every social event, but are you actually connecting with your friends? Usually, the answer is a resounding no. High-octane movement often masks a lack of direction. If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there—but you’ll be exhausted by the time you arrive.
Breaking the Cycle of Perpetual Motion
So, how do we stop? It’s not about quitting your job or moving to a yurt in Montana (though some days that sounds great). It’s about aggressive prioritization.
One of the most effective tools I’ve found is the Eisenhower Matrix. It’s old school but it works. You divide your tasks into four boxes: Urgent and Important, Important but Not Urgent, Urgent but Not Important, and Neither.
Most people who feel like they’ve been running around spend 90% of their time in the "Urgent but Not Important" box. These are the "fires" that other people start. The phone calls that could have been texts. The meetings that could have been emails. To stop the cycle, you have to ruthlessly guard the "Important but Not Urgent" box. That’s where sleep, deep work, and actual relationships live.
The Power of "No"
The word "no" is a productivity tool. We’re afraid to use it because we don't want to disappoint people or miss out (hello, FOMO). But every time you say "yes" to something that doesn't align with your goals, you are saying "no" to your own sanity.
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Start small.
Say no to one "optional" meeting this week. See what happens. Spoilers: the world won't end.
Slowing Down to Speed Up
It sounds counterintuitive. "I don't have time to slow down," you say. But the reality is you don't have time not to.
Strategic rest is a performance enhancer. Look at elite athletes. They don't train 24/7. They train with insane intensity and then they recover with equal intensity. Your brain needs the same thing. If you’ve been running around without a break, your output quality is likely garbage. A 20-minute walk without a podcast or phone can do more for your problem-solving abilities than three hours of staring at a screen.
Real-World Strategies for the Overwhelmed
Let’s get practical. If you feel the frantic energy rising, here is how to ground yourself:
- The "Rule of Three": At the start of the day, pick three things—and only three—that must get done for the day to be a success. Everything else is a bonus. This prevents that "never-ending list" dread.
- Batching: Stop checking email every time a notification pops up. Do it three times a day. Morning, lunch, and before you sign off.
- Physical Boundaries: When you’re "running around" mentally, your physical space usually reflects it. Clean your desk. Close the fifty browser tabs you aren't using. Clear the visual clutter to clear the mental clutter.
- Monotasking: Try doing one thing at a time. Just one. Eat your lunch without looking at your phone. Walk to the car without checking your messages. It’s harder than it sounds, which is a sign of how badly we need it.
Insights for a Slower Pace
The frantic pace of modern life isn't a natural law; it’s a series of choices we make every day. If you find yourself saying I’ve been running around more than once a week, it’s time for a radical audit of your time.
Start by auditing your "yeses." Look at your calendar for the last seven days and highlight everything that didn't actually need to happen or didn't bring you closer to your long-term goals. You’ll probably find a lot of "running around" that was entirely self-inflicted.
Next, implement a "hard stop" time for your day. No work, no "productive" chores, no screen-based scrolling after 8:00 PM (or whatever works for your schedule). Give your nervous system a chance to downshift.
Finally, reconnect with the concept of "enough." We run because we think we need more—more money, more followers, more accolades, more stuff. But the chase is infinite. There is no finish line in the "running around" race. The only way to win is to step off the track.
Focus on high-leverage activities. Be okay with leaving some things undone. Your worth is not tied to your output, and your "busy-ness" isn't a badge of honor—it's often just a distraction from the life you're actually supposed to be living. Stop running. Start standing still. It's the only way to see where you actually are.