Thriving in the Chaos: Unveiling the States Mastering the Art of Jam-Packed Schedules

Americans live very busy lives. For many people, each day of their week is full of scheduled events, appointments, tasks, and more, but are certain parts of the country simply going with the flow? A busy life is one full of memories, so perhaps a hectic schedule allows Americans an opportunity to feel more fulfilled.

To determine where Americans are living the most and least busy lives, we surveyed residents in every state and several cities regarding their schedules. We asked everything from which tasks fill their schedules, the days they are busiest, their reasons for living busy lives, and more. Using those responses, we created a busy schedule score for each state and city. Read on to see where the state you call home ranked.

Key Takeaways

• Residents in New York, Arizona, and California live the busiest lives.
• Residents in the cities of Charlotte, NC, Phoenix, AZ, and Boston, MA, live the busiest lives.
• Of the Americans who live a highly scheduled lifestyle, 38% say they are unhappy doing so.
• When their calendar is full, 47% of Americans get anxious.
• Of the Americans who live a highly scheduled lifestyle, 84% leave open space in their planning for relaxation.
• When it comes to the weekend, 44% of Americans have half or more of their typical Saturday planned.

The States Where Americans Live the Busiest Lives

Americans all across the country experience hectic schedules from time to time, but for some people, a busy schedule is the norm. Leading the way with the busiest lives, are residents in New York. The Big Apple earned a busy score of 96.1 as the state’s residents experience some of the busiest times on the weekend. Our study found that 63% of New York residents fill half of their weekend or more with plans, leaving little room for relaxation.

Though a busy schedule can feel hectic at times, it does not always leave a person feeling unfulfilled. For many people, more scheduled events are simply more opportunities to make memories with those closest to them.

Up next for busy lives, is Arizona with a score of 95.2. Similar to New York, Arizona residents stack their schedules, but in the Grand Canyon State, it’s the weeknights that are busiest. Following closely behind with a busy score of 93.5 is California where residents, similar to those in Arizona, find their calendars most full Monday through Friday after work.

A busy schedule can be caused by many things, but for nearly 3 in 5 Americans, their life is most consumed by their work responsibilities. It is not all work for everyone, however, as 43% of people attribute their busy lives to their hobbies.

Tasks to maintain a home such as cleaning and updating decor account for nearly 2 in 5 Americans’ busy schedules, while 1 in 4 struggle to find free time due to their parenting duties.

The life of a parent is understandably packed from sports practice to cooking delicious meals, there are countless tasks on a parent’s plate. These moments don’t last forever though, so don’t forget to snap a few pictures and videos to remember these precious memories.

For 1 in 5 Americans, their busy lifestyle is temporary as they strive to grow their knowledge by expanding their education. Another 1 in 9 people fill their schedules by giving back to others through volunteer work.

The Cities Where Residents Live the Busiest Lives

While North Carolina as a whole ranked 13th for busy lives, Charlotte, NC, took the top spot for the busiest U.S. city. Residents of the Queen City are the most likely to have half or more of their weeknights planned, and second only to Baltimore, MD, for busy weekends.

In second place with a busy score of 94.7 is Phoenix, AZ. The city ranks just behind Charlotte, NC, for scheduled weeknights and weekends. Following behind in third is Boston, MA with a score of 88.7. A majority of Boston residents prefer the jam-packed calendar, however, as 53% say they are happy to live busy lives.

A busy lifestyle isn’t for everyone though, as 38% of people who live a highly scheduled life say they are unhappy doing so. Regardless of the reasons for keeping a fully stacked calendar, it is important to make time for yourself as well. Of those who live busy lives, 84% make sure to leave open space in their planning for relaxation.

Sticking to a strict schedule can be helpful for some people, as 45% say they live a highly scheduled lifestyle to get all of their tasks done on time. In addition, nearly 1 in 4 people say they choose to live a busy life for their mental health.

A Look Inside Americans’ Busy Schedules

From work to school, many aspects of our lives are undeniably scheduled. With our responsibilities claiming so much of our free time, it is easy to understand why many Americans make plans to fill their free time when it is available to them. When it comes to the weekend, 44% of Americans have half or more of their typical Saturday planned.

During the week, Gen Zers and millennials are more likely than older generations to make plans after their daytime responsibilities. Our study found generally, Mondays and Wednesdays are the busiest days of the week for most Americans. Overall, the average American has about seven hours of free time on a typical Saturday.

For some people, a packed schedule is exciting, as it gives them something to look forward to, but for 47% of Americans, a full calendar leads to anxiety.

Conclusion

It can be easy to get caught up in the ebb and flow of everyday life. From work and school to parenting and traveling, our lives are full of responsibilities, but it is important to ensure we are still making meaningful memories along the way.

At Mixbook, we understand how busy life can be, that’s why we offer calendars to help keep all of those scheduled activities organized. We also provide photo books to capture and preserve the precious moments in the whirlwind of life that make it all worthwhile. Browse our collection of calendars and photo book themes today.

Methodology

In this study, we surveyed Americans in every state and the 50 most populous U.S. cities to determine where people are living the busiest lives. We asked respondents a variety of questions including what percentage of their weeknights and weekends are planned out, what responsibilities compel them to live a highly scheduled lifestyle, and more.

To determine where Americans have the most and least busy schedules, we assigned points to answers representing highly scheduled lifestyles and totaled the scores for each respondent. We then calculated the average score for each state and city, and adjusted each score on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most busy schedules.