What's the Hurry?

May 1, 2021

Chillax

I have a tendency of being impatient. I hate queues, traffic and anything else that gets in the way or slows down progress. Min faff.

Even when time is not a factor, I’m in a hurry. I walk fast, talk fast and stress out friends and family when I’m go, go, go.

City life may be fast-paced and exciting for some, but that very nature of it causes many of us to live a more stressed and hurried existence, a causal factor in health problems long term.

Leaving Sydney for quieter destinations, I often find the locals to be friendlier, more relaxed and why the hell is no one driving the speed limit?

You don’t need to live in a big city to exhibit these behaviours. It’s common in individuals who work time-critical jobs or have Type-A personalities.

So if like me, you recognise you’re always time conscious, have too much to do and generally rushing through life, let’s look at ways to change our behaviour.


Slow Down

This sign was hard to ignore on the mountain road as the bright orange color screamed against the cool blues of the scene.
Photo by Nareeta Martin / Unsplash

We’ve all done it at some point - mismanaged our time and are running late. You’ll recognise these individuals on the road, driving over the speed limit, ducking and weaving through traffic. But how much time are you actually saving by choosing to speed?

A 10km journey driving at 60km/h (6mi @ 37mi/h) takes ten minutes.

The same 10km journey at 70km/h (43mi/h) takes eight and a half minutes. A paltry one and a half minute saving by breaking the speed limit.

However, driving consistently in a city full of vehicles, pedestrians and traffic lights is near impossible. That ten-kilometre journey could easily exceed thirty minutes during peak hour in large cities. Your GPS predicts travel time based on a number of factors, but catch a red light along the way and you’ll be adding anywhere between one and three minutes, negating any time you might have made.

In the heat of the moment, you’re not considering these things because you’re tunnel-visioned. But right now whilst you’re hopefully not rushing (or driving 🤪), recognise the increased possibility of an accident or speeding fine (which may affect your insurance premium in the years to follow). Is the risk worth it to save a couple of minutes, and for what?

Do you often:

  • Find yourself generally speeding through life where everything’s a race, you need to make the most of every second - on the road, in conversation, eating meals;
  • Multitask - at work or general routine;
  • Hate delays and always look for ways to save time?

You could be dealing with hurry sickness and having these tendencies affects your emotional and physical health.

Importance lies in incorporating practices that help you slow down in life:

  • Aim to walk thirty minutes plus a day
  • Meditate
  • Don’t neglect exercise, nutrition, sleep and water
  • Prioritise relaxation - those things you do to unwind

Leo’s suggestions include:

  • Do less
  • Be present
  • Unplug (disconnect)
  • Focus on people
  • Appreciate nature

Ultimately, it’s about reducing unnecessary anxiety and pressure; living life at a slower, more enjoyable pace.


Conclusion

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” - Lao Tzu

It’s savouring the chocolate, going with the flow, slowing down, chilling out.

There’s no hurry.

You’ll get there when you do.

Enjoy the journey.

Because it goes by fast.



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