Episode 52: Why Americans Are Always “Busy”

[00:00:00] Welcome to English, please, the podcast where we explore interesting topics in under 10 minutes in clear, intermediate English. I’m your host Christopher., I live in New York City and I’ve always been passionate about languages and how we learn them. Whether you’re listening on your way to work or while cooking dinner at home, this show is designed to help you with your English listening and comprehension skills.

Thanks so much for being here. It’s the middle of winter here in New York City, and honestly, it’s been pretty gray lately, but there’s one thing I love about this time of year: the days are starting to get longer. You can feel it! The sun sets a little later each day, [00:01:00] and it reminds me that spring is coming, even if it doesn’t feel like it yet.

This week I began to notice something. My colleagues and friends all seem to be busier now that the holidays are over and we’re into the new year. Everyone is back to their normal routines and suddenly I’m hearing people say, “I’m so busy!” and, “Work is crazy!” It made me think about something you’ve probably noticed if you’ve spent any time around Americans—we’re always busy. Or at least, we always say we are.

Think about it. When someone asks an American, “How are you?” one of the most common responses is “Busy!” or “So busy!” or “Crazy busy!” It’s almost like a reflex. Even when we’re not that busy, we still say we are!

So what’s going on here? Why are Americans [00:02:00] obsessed with being busy? And more importantly, what does busy actually mean in American culture?

Let’s start with the cultural piece. In the United States, being busy is almost seen as a badge of honor. Oh, “badge of honor” is a phrase that means something you are proud of and want others to know about. If you’re busy, it means you’re important. It means people need you. It means you are productive and successful. Many Americans believe that if you are not busy, you’re wasting time or not contributing enough.

This isn’t true everywhere. In most cultures, having free time is a sign of success. It means you’ve organized your life well or you have enough resources that you don’t need to work constantly. But in the U.S., especially in professional settings, [00:03:00] being busy is the goal.

For example, you see a colleague at the coffee shop and he asks you, how have you been? If you say “I don’t have that much going on. I’m just relaxing,” they might think you’re lazy or unmotivated, but if you say, “I’m so busy! Work has been crazy!” they’ll probably respond with sympathy, or even admiration. “I know, me too. It’s nonstop at work!”

Does this mean Americans are actually busier than people in other countries? Honestly, no. A lot of it is perception. Americans fill their schedules and say yes to too many things, and then we complain about how busy we are! And, maybe, we actually like it, or at least we’re used to it.

[00:04:00] There’s a very common English phrase for this: “hustle culture.” Hustle culture is the idea that you should always be working, always be improving, always be doing something productive. “To hustle” in this context means to work very hard and quickly. Rest is seen as a weakness, and free time is seen as wasted time.

This attitude affects how Americans communicate with each other too. If you ask someone to do something with you and they say “I’m so busy right now,” what does that actually mean? Sometimes, it means they truly don’t have time, but often it’s a polite way of saying no, because it’s easier to blame the schedule than to say “I don’t really want to.” I’m sure this can feel very strange to many of you!

Here’s another example. Imagine you’re At [00:05:00] your job, and your boss asks if you can work on a new project. Even if you have time, you might say “I’m pretty swamped, but I can try to do it.” “Swamped” is a very common word, and it means busy, basically. So, “I’m pretty swamped, but I can try to do it” is the same as saying “I’m pretty busy, but I can try to do it.” Back to the example. Why would you say you’re busy, but you’ll try to do the new project if the truth is you actually have time.

Because in American culture, if you say”Sure, no problem!” Your boss might think you’re not busy enough, and he or she might give you even more work. As a result, people frequently exaggerate how busy they are to protect themselves.

Here’s the thing though. Being busy all the time [00:06:00] has a cost. Americans are stressed, we’re tired, we don’t take enough vacation, and even when we do take time off, we check our emails. We feel guilty for resting.

A lot of Americans are starting to realize that this isn’t possible or healthy forever. There’s been a shift recently, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. More people are talking about “work-life balance,” which is a common English phrase that means having time for both work and a personal life. Many younger generations are fighting against the hustle culture in the us, but trying to be busy all the time is still very much a part of American life.

So how do you navigate this as an English learner or someone new to American culture? Here are a few tips.

First, when someone says they’re busy, don’t take [00:07:00] it personally. It’s not always about you. It’s just something people say. They might be really overwhelmed, or they might just be saying what they think is normal.

Second, learn to understand “busy” when you hear it or read it. It might be in a conversation, but it also might be in a movie, a series, or a book. When someone asks how you’re doing, you can say “Busy, but good!” This shows you’re engaged with life without sounding negative.

Third, if you are invited to something and you can’t go, it’s totally acceptable to say, I’d love to, but I’m really busy this week. It’s a polite and very common way to say no.

And finally, remember that you don’t have to adopt this mentality just because you’re improving your English. By the way, lesson four in my English Listening Accelerator covers this exact topic, [00:08:00] English that is associated with workplace culture and being busy. There’s a free sample at comullen.com/listen and you can download it and decide if it’s a good fit for you.

Again, I’m Christopher, and I want to invite you to join me in future episodes of English, please to hear about a variety of topics all focused on helping you with your English. Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts, and let’s continue this adventure together in clear, understandable English.

Sincere thanks as always for listening.

See you soon!