New Jersey ranks 4th as the busiest state in the U.S.

I used to think it was just New Jersey that had ourselves scheduled to the hilt. And then I realized, no, it’s pretty much all of our country that does this.

When I was younger, we used to have no schedule. Our day was an open book during which we could do pretty much whatever we wanted as long as we got home before it started to turn dark.

Not so, today. Our lives are lived by the clock. And I guess even more so in New Jersey where life just seems to be lived at a more frenetic pace.

A recent survey conducted by Mixbook set out to uncover just that, polling residents from all 50 states to determine where Americans are living the busiest lives.

The survey looked into different aspects of people's schedules, including the percentage of weeknights and weekends that are meticulously planned, the reasons people are so busy, etc.

Interestingly, they found a common theme. That despite the frenetic pace, many people in the country enjoy a jam-packed schedule. They see all of those activities as a way to create lasting memories with their families. And living in New Jersey we know that that’s how we tend to look at things.

It’s no surprise to anybody that New Jersey would be high up on the list of busiest lives in this country.

The Garden State ranks #4 among states with the most highly scheduled lives, with a staggering 60% of residents reporting that at least half of their weekends are scheduled in advance.

Weeknights fare no better, with 45% of residents having more than half of their evenings booked with activities.

Anxiety often accompanies a full calendar, and New Jerseyans are no strangers to this feeling, with 34% admitting to feeling uneasy when their schedules are packed.

However, despite the whirlwind of activities, a significant portion – 57% – report that their children are happy to lead busy lives, highlighting the positive aspect of their bustling schedules.

Across the nation, residents in states like New York, Arizona, and California are known for living fast-paced lives, while cities such as Charlotte, NC, Phoenix, AZ, and Boston, MA, are hotspots for hectic schedules.

Surprisingly, not everyone thrives in this environment, as 38% of those leading highly scheduled lifestyles express unhappiness.

The study also pointed out that even though sometimes we run around like chickens, 84% of Americans still figure out how to carve out some time for relaxation.

Because we are the most densely populated state in the country it makes sense that we are running around, harried, cramming a lot of living into our lives. But at least we know that for the most part, we’re happy doing it.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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