Is Racing Against Time Really Worth It?

I recently came across this quote by Bonnie Friedman “An unhurried sense of time is in itself a sort of wealth”. An unhurried sense of time- is there actually such a thing, or such a person who doesn’t live in constant hurry?

We live in an extremely fast-paced era where our mornings begin with cussing the alarm clock out followed by a granola bar for breakfast while simultaneously tucking the shirt in, and rushing to drop the kids and reach work on time. Phew!

Forget about a regular day where you ‘need’ to hurry to be in tune with the day’s schedule, even on off days people seem to be hurrying. ‘Hurry up! We’re gonna be late for the movies!’ ‘Hurry up! We’re gonna be late for dinner’ ‘Hurry up we’re gonna be late for our leisurely stroll on the beach!’ Seriously?

The problem is that most of us are attuned to living the hurried life. But is it really working in our favor? Absolutely not!

Why is our productivity decreasing despite being always on the go?

Starting with the very basic, our body has been wired to work, play, and rest. When you’re rushing things up and snatching whatever little sleep you can so that you can work on that project- your productivity is going to go down, if not now then definitely in the long run.

What most people fail to understand is that whether a certain work really needs to be hurried up; do you really need to rush through ten things to get it done. How about getting eight of them done today and two tomorrow? Not only are you going to make mistakes or if you’re brilliant then you might not make mistakes but those are not going to be your best works. This would lead to revising or redoing the entire thing- is it worth it?

Health-wise, racing the clock has its implications. From depression, muscle aches, to stress and anxiety, which further leads to numerous ‘serious’ ailments. Not to mention how your food portions keep on getting smaller when you're eating on the go. And those takeaways and processed can foods are of no good, you know that.

Aside from affecting the physical health, a hurried life can spell doom for you emotional and mental health too. One of the worse consequences is stress and anxiety. People who live a hurried life are in a state of perpetual stress, whether it is work related or brought on by sleep deprivation. And let’s not even go to what stress can do in the long run.

Take a breather and contemplate whether you need to slow down or is your current lifestyle exactly how you want it to be?

When you make the clock your ally, you’d start to notice, enjoy, and appreciate the small things in life. Even slowly sipping a cup of coffee would make it all the more delectable.

You need to slow down because twenty-four hours per day is enough to get you through work if you prioritize and take on work as per your capability. Know what your body and mind can handle and stick to it, religiously!

When you slow down your relationships improve. You are taking the time to listen to people rather than just hearing whatever they are blabbering while simultaneously making a To-do list in your mind. When you listen, you understand better.

Plus you end up spending time with those who matter. Whether it is friends or family, they do not feel left out.
How can you live an unhurried life?

To begin with, stop imagining your life in a rush. Don’t even think of completing everything in a day, and when you make your To-do list make sure you are doing that slowly and rationally.

Get enough sleep, at least the recommended 8 hours.
Try to fit in some form of workout in the morning, this will undo the damage caused by stress and is unarguably good for your health.

Always keep some ‘me’ time aside. You can listen to your favorite music, pursue a hobby, volunteer at the local kitchen, or just simply sit and enjoy a cup of tea.
Put down your life’s goals on a piece of paper and make sure you do something every day to meet these goals, but again don’t rush it.

Whether it is food, family time, sleep, or even a cup of regular coffee, make sure you give the task at hand attention.

Enjoy the moment.

Always remember whatever has to happen, will happen, and at the right time.

Try switching to an unhurried life for a day, while rationally making time for your work, and let me know if you felt it to be better than your I-need-to-absolutely-rush-to-work-now! days.