Busy Fool Syndrome: Are you constantly busy but not making real progress? Here’s how to work smarter, not harder

Taking regular breaks from work is brain-boosting. Image: Getty

​Chris Griffiths and Caragh Medlicott

A truly productive day is a satisfying thing. There’s no better feeling than closing your laptop knowing that all your to-dos are ticked off. And yet, for many of us, this sense of achievement is not one we actually get to experience often. Instead, we’re more likely to end the day feeling harried and stressed — like we didn’t get all that we needed to done, and this is often despite us trying our best and going into the day with good intentions.

If you’re familiar with the feeling of your output not matching the effort you put in, you might be suffering from Busy Fool Syndrome (BFS). This is a term used to describe the very modern phenomenon of “busy work” taking priority over the actual completing of tasks and projects. It’s a problem because — like a hamster on a wheel — it puts us in a position of tiring ourselves out without actually gaining any ground towards our goals.