Whoa, America! Slow down. It’s no secret that Americans are super busy people, and seem to enjoy the hustle and bustle they put forth every week.

Compared to other countries, Americans tend to wear their busyness with pride, almost as though the busier they are, the more successful they will become.

The average American works 44 hours a week, according to ATTN:, and many put in more than that. When it comes to vacation days, roughly 662 unused vacations days were leftover instead of used for a vacation.

It even seems as though busy schedules is somehow seen as a status symbol, or a phrase used to showcase how incredibly overwhelmed people are.

The crazy thing is the excuse of people have too busy of a schedule to do anything other than work isn’t seen as a negative, but rather is seen as a positive toward how hard working and driven someone is.

When it comes to other countries, the European way is embraced and free time is a priority. Most people in other countries work less hours than Americans do and are just as productive or even more productive!

Some of the reason Americans tend to work more than other countries has to do with various laws that are in place. A French law prohibits emails after hours, and many European countries shut down their stores for two months during the summer.

Studies show the more relaxed you are the more productive you become at work. The brain is not wired to be the multitasking machine we force it to be.

When we overwork ourselves we suffer from exhaustion, a loss in productivity, and depression. The sad part is America is creating a culture where it’s cool to be overworked. Less Americans are even taking breaks throughout the day or even a lunch hour.

So perhaps we need to take a page out of the European play book and start enjoying some free time!