Hurrying Week 2

"Impatience is a sign of hurrying; hurrying is a sign of worrying; worrying is a sign someone forgot time is on their side."
— Mike Dooley

If you practiced paying attention to when you hurry, last week you may have noticed some patterns. This week we examine the causes of what is now referred to as hurry sickness.

According to Dr. Kandi Wiens, author of Develop Resilience and Protect Yourself from Burnout, several factors contribute to the development of hurry sickness:

Cultural Expectations: Our society often glorifies productivity, leading individuals to believe that their worth is tied to how much they can accomplish in a day.

Technology: The expectation to respond quickly to emails, texts, and social media can add to the sense of urgency. We are available 24/7.

Lifestyle Choices: Overcommitting to work, social engagements, and everything else in life.

Personality Traits: Some individuals naturally possess traits that predispose them to hurry sickness, such as perfectionism or competitiveness.

Does any of this sound like you? It seems the more conveniences we have, to save time, the more pressure we undergo to get it all done. Engaging in multitasking throughout the day may lead to errors or incomplete attention. Mike Dooley suggests that time is not on our side because we are trapped in it and then worry about what we have not accomplished. We know worrying never changes the outcome. 

This weekend I attended a seminar on stretching. One of the instructors was from Argentina. We connected in a few minutes about philosophers. She said the only thing about America that troubled her was our focus on time and money. In her country people valued slowing down and spending time together instead of how much they could accomplish. I understood, and thought immediately about hurrying.

This week give yourself some grace and the gift of time. Maybe even just one day, two hours of being present with family or friends, or maybe yourself.  Not checking email, texts, Instagram or Facebook. Can you accept this challenge?