It’s week 12. Thanksgiving break is quickly approaching. Perhaps the busiest time of projects and exams is upon us – and it excites me.

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If you’re anything like me (which I completely understand if you’re not), you get a sort of rush from having an endless list of tasks and being able to cross them off your planner or to-do list. Sure, everyone feels accomplished when they meet deadlines and finish assignments, but when I cross everything off of my list at the end of the day and have nothing left, I almost feel an emptiness.

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I have discovered myself to be a self-proclaimed busyaholic. To be completely honest, I never knew what this meant or even viewed it as an unusual trait until recently. When I see those around me completely unmotivated or overwhelmed with a full plate, I empathize with them in an odd way. I totally understand that feeling every once in a while of just wanting to ignore all responsibilities and be lazy – but when I know that I have things I should be doing, it doesn’t sit well with me. In fact, it bothers me all day until I get that productive satisfaction again.

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But don’t get me wrong. When I do have a day or two to completely disconnect from to-do’s it is amazing and makes it somewhat difficult to get back into the grind. But once I find myself entangled in the constant action known as life, I engulf myself in it all over again.

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However, this obsession with being busy has its downsides. According to Psychology Today, a constant desire to be busy and productive is often a numbing armor against vulnerability. In fact, when constantly busy people are left some time to simply do nothing, they don’t know how to go about it. When I read these words and think about them, I realize that I too am guilty of this. I actually feel uncomfortable from boredom. And I often can’t stand to be alone because of it. In fact, when I do find myself alone, I mask the discomfort through binge-watching Netflix, attempting to catch up with friends and family via phone, or catching up on housework – all because I can’t stand to be quietly alone.

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Others use their busyness to avoid other things going on in their lives like failing relationships, ill family members, loneliness, or countless other troubles. While this can be an acceptable coping mechanism briefly, peace can be found by slowing down little by little – a piece of advice that I could even benefit from listening to.

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But don’t get me wrong. A desire to be productive can benefit a person greatly. Most people probably feel a sense of pride in crossing things off of their list. But not everyone views their busyness in the same way and that is perfectly okay. I have accepted my fulfillment with being busy and view it as part of who I am. Whether you align with everything that I am saying or think this is crazy talk, perhaps take into consideration that - at the end of the day - everyone has their own niche that defines them as an individual.