Why are people in such a hurry?
Even when there’s no real urgency, people seem to be rushing. Yes, there may be occasions when we need to act fast. But often, we don’t.
It’s a mindset!!
We seem to be in a rush to go, well… nowhere really.
We rush from place to another. We rush to work, school, coffee shop, gym, supermarket...wherever. On the road, we rush just to be the first at the traffic lights. We rush to check emails and reply to messages. We walk, talk, eat, and think fast. And on and on it goes. Everything turns into a race.
What’s this rush all about?
Often, we end up making more mistakes and then redoing things or fixing errors. We end up doing nothing properly. Rushing slows us down. Sometimes, rushing can result in serious injury or even death.
Rushing is not good for our physical and emotional wellbeing. Constantly running around brings more stress and anxiety into our lives. We become less effective. Rushing can lead to burnout and emotional exhaustion. We seem to be rushing into serious mental health issues.
It’s hard to slow down in our fast-paced world. For many, rushing through life can be an avoidance strategy. When we are in a constant hurry, we don’t have to deal with our problems and frustrations. We don’t have to address something difficult such as an unhappy relationship. We rush away from uncomfortable or unpleasant emotions… we rush away from ourselves.
We need to slow down!!!
I’ve spent a lot of time behind bars. Working in prison environment taught me a lot. One of the many lessons I learned was the importance of s-l-o-w-i-n-g down. My daily schedule was busy with assessments, interviews and sessions but just getting from one unit block to another was often a slow process. As prisons are highly structured and tightly controlled environments, I got used to waiting. Waiting for gates to be electronically unlocked before going through. And then patiently waiting again for the next gate to be unlocked. Gate after gate, door after door until I reached my destination deep within the prison walls.
Throughout the day, I walked down long corridors and concrete pathways performing my duties. Seeing an inmate in a private room was not an easy task as rooms were used by other prison staff as well as legal and other professional visitors. So, I waited for my turn. Then, I waited for the inmate to be called or collected. During emergency situations or lockdowns, I had to wait for things to return to normal. Even, if I was stuck in an “airlock” – a small corridor with a steel door at each end – I just had to wait.
I learned a lot in prisons. I learned about pain, despair and suffering as well as hope, dreams and positive change. And I learned so much about myself. It was one of the most rewarding roles I’ve ever had. Whenever I catch myself in a “rush” mode, I pause and remind myself of my work in prisons. I purposely slow down. I try not to rush through life.
Are you always rushing?
Do you get irritated when you are delayed or stuck in traffic? Even, if you have a plenty of time to get where we need to be. Do you get agitated when you have to wait in line? Do you rush from one task to the next? Perhaps you rush from one relationship to another. You might be even rushing through this blog post!
What would happen if you didn’t rush so much?
As you go through your day, see if you can slow down a little. Make a conscious effort to stop and ask yourself if you’re going too fast.
Sometimes just a few small changes can make a world of difference to your wellbeing. Experiment with slowing down. Try and find a few occasions to pause throughout the day. Make small adjustment at a time, don't try and change all at once. You still have commitments and things to do, so there's no need to slow down your entire life.
So, what’s the rush?
Eila Mikkonen
Counsellor, Clinical Supervisor, Coach & Mental Fitness Facilitator