Falling in Love with Busy
October 10th, 2025
Writer: Anbini Ganesh
Editor: Grace Hemminger
When an unexpected challenge comes up in your life, what do you do? Do you put your life on pause, go MIA, and come back when it’s resolved? Do you seek support from those around you, or try to handle it solo? Or better yet, do you live in denial, neglecting its existence preaching that ignorance is bliss?
When faced with a stressful situation, I could never really tell if my default reaction was fight, flight, or freeze. I quickly learned when last semester, I was faced with the unimaginable. I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in early February, and I decided flight was my best option. The day I got my diagnosis in a Ross study room, I called my brother on the walk home, my voice shaking, but tears absent. When I got back to my dorm and hung up on my brother, a tear involuntarily escaped. I quickly wiped it away and said out loud, to an empty room, “I have an EECS 203 exam tomorrow.” I sat down, opened a practice exam, and moved my pencil along the page as if nothing abnormal had happened.
Looking back, I now see how that moment clearly laid the foundation for how the rest of the semester unfolded. I was asymptomatic, so my parents' calls and frequent doctor visits were the only reminders of my diagnosis before surgery. I continued on with my life the exact same way I had pre-diagnosis, diving deeper into my commitments rather than out of them. People thought I was crazy. I thought I was crazy. Now, I realize that it was my way of coping. I ran from the challenge and sought comfort in the normalcy and busyness of life instead.
It begs the question: when you face something unprecedented, is it always the right decision to let it take over your life? Plenty of people told me to relax and take time for myself, but for me, more time alone with my thoughts was daunting. Throughout the semester, I began to fall in love with Busy. Busy was adrenaline. It was social, professional, and exciting. Busy was tiring but fulfilling. Most importantly, at that time, Busy didn’t feel isolating.
Over the summer, while recovering from my surgery, I continued to chase Busy. I was in complete remission but still facing medication changes and hormone replacements after a full thyroidectomy. Busy started to play hard to get, but I’m not someone who gives up easily. I piled on internships, online classes, and job recruiting while experimenting with new workout classes and traveling destinations. I do not regret one moment of it.
Maybe my approach to hardship scares you, and to that I would say I completely understand. Often when people face challenges or discomfort, they immediately seek familiarity and comfort. My definition of that included infinite work, an overwhelming GCal, and a robust social life. For many others, however, comfort looks like a break from the stimulating world and time for themselves. So, I can acknowledge that my approach is a bit unconventional. My lifestyle since February has not taught me that being busy is the key; it has taught me to lean into comfort in the most challenging times.
To everyone reading this, repeat, “I’m going to take time for myself,” as often as you can. Make it time truly tailored to you. Maybe that means you run 6 miles. Maybe that means you sit in bed with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. It could mean that you finish all of your homework for the week in one sitting or you journal for three hours. Make it yours. Look challenge in the eye with a strength unique to you and never question how you choose to cope with the hardships of life.
