Author here; I didn't (intentionally) lift the title—had no idea there was an article of a similar name already.
NYT: Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance, a hedge against emptiness; obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand..
You: I call it The “Work” Trap. What is it? It’s both a procrastination technique and a way of staying in your comfort zone while feeling or seeming productive.
dsirijus: procrasinating makes you fail to deliver, guilt stops you from doing anything else (hence, "busy"), and not doing anything else makes you unproductive. Rinse and repeat..
Would also add: mental frame.
Some people may decline to play checkers (too busy) even though pieces on their chess board are not in motion (not apparently busy).
This is distinct to social signalling (NYT) and its not procrastination. Its meta productive (rational) if playing checkeers will decrease my focus and odds of winning at chess.