Do the minutes seem to go by like seconds and the days fly by? If so, you may be experiencing time famine.
The term was coined by economist Leslie A. Perlow in 1999 at the advent of email and cell phones, which gave way to a new world of instant communication and heightened demands to be continuously connected. And even though, post-pandemic, we’ve collectively pulled back a bit, burnout from an always-on culture is still common.
“I think there is this lack of edges that creates a feeling of time famine,” explains Julie Morgenstern, a time management expert and author of “Time Management from the Inside Out” and “Never Check Email in the Morning.” Work can feel like it is happening 24/7, she adds, so “you never know when the day is done.”
In an always-on culture there is also a tendency to stay busy for the sake of being busy. “People love to talk about being busy,” says time management and productivity expert Laura Vanderkam, author of “Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done.”
“We live in a competitive world, and no one wants to be the one who is seen as having plenty of time on their hands," Vanderkam says, and this leads to some people creating unnecessary work for themselves or giving themselves tasks they could probably delegate to others.
The good news is there are solutions. Below, experts share clever ways to take back your time and establish a healthier work-life balance.