When rest provokes guilt and leisure is monetised

We are living in an age that celebrates being busy as if it were a badge of honour.

- BY NARAYANAN KIZHUMUNDAYUR

The most common answer to “How are you?” is no longer “I am well,” but “I am busy.”To be occupied every hour of the day is seen as proof of importance. To be constantly working is admirable. To slow down is questionable. And to do nothing at all is almost unforgivable. The 24x7 productivity culture did not arrive suddenly. It grew quietly alongside technological progress. Machines were invented to reduce human effort.

Computers promised efficiency. The internet connected the world. Smartphones placed the office inside our pockets. In theory, these innovations were meant to give us more time. In practice, they have stretched the working day into every corner of our lives. Work no longer ends at sunset. Emails arrive at midnight. Messages demand instant replies. Even holidays are filled with digital interruptions. We carry our responsibilities everywhere like invisible luggage. The body may rest, but the mind rarely does. Gradually, something deeper has changed within us. Productivity has become more than a necessity; it has become a moral value. We feel proud when we are exhausted. We speak of “grind” and “hustle” as virtues. A day filled with tasks feels meaningful. A day of quiet reflection feels suspicious. Rest begins to carry guilt.