If you know me at all, you know I'm a very busy person. Things tend to pile on my plate very quickly. And sometimes that’s a good thing. Ambition can be admirable, and it keeps my brain occupied for a while. But sometimes I get too busy, and that can lead to more harm than good.

These days, I try to stay away from too much busyness. I encourage you to do the same. Here are five reasons why staying too busy can be a dangerous thing.

1. Staying too busy can hurt you physically.

If you stay too busy, you can develop poor eating habits. It’s quicker and easier to eat out than cook at home, and that usually means fast food. But too much of this will damage your insides over time. You might also be skipping out on sleep to get everything done, and that is the fastest way to a breakdown. It can also make it hard to schedule in exercise, whether that means going to the gym or getting out the yoga mat in the living room.

2. Staying too busy can hurt you emotionally.

Busyness often leads to stress. Those two things aren’t exactly the same thing, but there’s definitely a correlation there. Being busy can make you think you have an excuse to put your emotional well-being aside. It can keep you from pursuing your interests and your passions. And it can take you away from activities that are productive or even just relaxing.

3. Staying too busy can hurt you socially.

How many times have you tried to hang out with a friend, and they tell you they are “too busy”? How many times have you been this friend? I know when I get too busy, I let my social life shuffle down to the bottom of the priority list. But I forget that it’s an important part of my life, too, and those relationships are worth taking the time for.

4. Staying too busy can hurt you financially.

Too much busyness can make it more difficult to plan or stick to a budget. If I’m running around in the morning and I forget to pack a lunch, I spend way too much money eating out. And when that happens several times a week, the money in my account drops faster than what I’m prepared to handle. That makes it hard to save up for future needs or emergencies.

5. Staying too busy can hurt you spiritually.

If you let busyness get the best of you, it takes time away for self-reflection and mindfulness. You might be moving too fast to actually think about the way your schedule is affecting you. And even worse, it may let you stay contempt with the way things are, even though you’re not truly satisfied.

Over time, staying too busy without rest will ultimately lead to destruction. Maybe you’re at a better place than me, where you’ve successfully incorporated healthy habits into your busyness. If that’s the case, then kudos to you. I know I'm a work-in-progress, and I now refuse to let myself get too busy. I’m gonna mess that up, I’m sure. But I know that balance is key, and striving for it is the first step to achieving, and maintaining, an intentional life.