Overwhelmed: Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time by Brigid Schulte

In Brigid Schulte’s book Overwhelmed: Work, Love and Play When No One Has The Time, she examines a modern-day conundrum: We all have endless tasks, endless emails and endless obligations, yet no one seems to have enough time. Through reporting and her own personal story, Schulte investigates the causes of our time crunch, from social trends such as the inversion of traditional gender roles to the effects of economic policy. She probes the science of time perception, interviews experts in the fields of psychology and organizational science, and considers corporate and government policies and their effects.

Schulte’s book serves to illuminate the issue of our time-crunched society, though it does not offer one-size-fits-all solutions or a step-by-Step guide. For this, Schulte turns to the experts, who explain why working long hours is damaging to our productivity and how we can learn to manage our workloads more effectively.

Schulte begins her investigation around the topic of the gender pay gap, which is still a reality in many countries. Evidence suggests that when women enter the workforce, they often face more demands than their male counterparts. Schulte speaks to executives and analysts who explain how gender-based hiring and promotion policies can lead to women having to work longer hours and more often than men. Schulte explores how modern technology is fueling a rise in both male and female employees feeling pressure to be available at all times.

Schulte delves into the psychology of time, looking at how our perception of time affects and can be affected by societal and economic trends. She discusses research which suggests that as societies become wealthier, people’s perception of time actually changes. This can lead to an increased sense of stress and a desire for “instant gratification” that makes it difficult to focus on the task at hand.

Turning from the individual to the corporate level, Schulte looks at how working longer hours impacts employees and the economy at large. She examines the evidence which shows that when people work more, their productivity actually decreases. She speaks to researchers and executives who explain why this is the case and suggests that corporations need to rethink their policies if they want to maximize their effectiveness.

Finally, Schulte looks at how our societal expectations can lead to both too much and too little “time off”. From expectations of always being available to opportunities to relax and recharge, Schulte examines how both aspects of our culture can lead to people feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

In Overwhelmed: Work, Love and Play When No One Has the Time Schulte provides a nuanced and ambitious look at our current culture of feeling overwhelmed by tasks. By speaking to experts in various fields and drawing on personal experience, Schulte offers an insightful analysis of the complexities of our society and provides thought-provoking ideas for how we can attempt to regain some equilibrium in our time-crunched lives.