Hurry Sickness

When I heard this term for the first time, I pretty much knew I had it. So, what is hurry sickness? By definition, hurry sickness is “a behavior pattern characterized by continual rushing and anxiousness; an overwhelming and continual sense of urgency.” As if that wasn’t bad enough, it’s also defined as “A malaise in which a person feels chronically short of time, and so tends to perform every task faster and to get flustered when encountering any kind of delay.” Sound familiar?

Here’s an example: You’re at the grocery store and you’re analyzing which line you should get into to move the fastest through check out? As you enter into your line of choice, you scout to see your perceived spot in the line you didn’t choose. If you check out of your line before your “perceived spot” in the other line, you feel like you’ve “won.” Ugh. You’re competing and rushing against an imaginary spot in line! If this is you, you might have hurry sickness.

Technology was and is supposed to help us have “more time,” but in reality, we hear more and more people say they “don’t have enough time.” So, how do you obtain more time and fight the hurry sickness enveloping us all?

Here are some tips from the professionals.

Slow Down – Taking time to be intentional is helpful and allows you to do your best and finish things correctly and with fewer mistakes.

Gratefulness Journal – Not that one more thing would be helpful, but pausing daily to reflect on what you are thankful and grateful for puts life in perspective and slows down your emotions.

Exercise – Exercise is proven to reduce stress, help your overall health and buoy your emotions.

Pause – Take more consistent breaks throughout the day. Try taking breaks on the hour to stretch, do pushups, anything to get your body moving and break away from what you are doing, if only for a few minutes.

By becoming aware of the situations and times when you find yourself hurrying, you can then take the time to slow yourself down, take in the world around you and breathe before heading off to your next task.