The Weight Of Urgency: How To Spot And Cure Hurry Sickness

Do you rush your meals? Are you always thinking about the next task on your list? If you find that you rush almost every task you approach, you likely have hurry sickness.

Walking, talking, working, and hanging out — everything you do feels stuck in a ceaseless tidal wave of urgency.

So today, let’s learn all about hurry sickness: its effects, signs, and remedies.

What is “hurry sickness”?

Hurry sickness is by no means a new phenomenon. The origin of this term dates back to a 1985 book: Type A Behavior and Your Heart. 

Although not classified as a medical condition, hurry sickness is characterized by an extreme sense of urgency when urgency is unnecessary. To an individual with a hurry sickness, time is always passing too quickly.

Hurry sickness: the telltale signs and symptoms

#1. A chronic sense of time-urgency

Are your eyes always drawn to your watch? Do you feel anxiety or guilt from sitting still? Hurry sickness primarily causes an overwhelming and seemingly uncontrollable sense that there’s not enough time.

Every task is carried out with the same accelerated speed — never taking a moment to stop and smell the roses. 

#2. Compulsive overplanning

In the mind of an individual with a hurry sickness, life feels incredibly chaotic. The only thing that seems to bring order is planning. Don’t get us wrong, planning is great! The issue arrives when almost every task needs to be planned.

• Neverending to-do lists;

• Overstuffed schedules;

• Reliance on planning for a sense of ease;

• Planning future conversations and social scenarios.

#3. Unusual mistakes or oversights

Amid the perpetual rush of hurry sickness, individuals often make silly or unusual mistakes. This absent-mindedness is likely caused by too much focus on their thoughts when planning future tasks.

Common mistakes include:

• Having trouble listening to someone wrapped up in your inner dialogue.

• Compulsively interrupting people to fast-forward to your issues.

• Overlooking important details as you’re always in a rush (e.g., forgetting to turn on Surfshark VPN and clicking on a phishing email.).

#4. Ignoring self-care

To a person inflicted with hurry sickness, self-care is likely ignored or has become part of the race. Caught in a riptide, these individuals prioritize task completion over personal wellbeing.

Over time, the heavy stress on their mental and physical health can cause burnout, body pains, sickness, and even chronic medical conditions.

Recovering from hurry sickness

If all of this feels eerily familiar, there’s no need to panic. You’re not the first to develop hurry sickness, and in today’s fast-paced world, you won’t be the last. The following are life-long remedies for hurry sickness.

Enjoy now

The past has passed and the future is yet to come — all that exists is now. As much as you can, try to pull yourself out of compulsive future-thinking and live in the present moment.

Being present doesn’t mean you have to abandon your career or productivity goals. On the contrary, getting your feet grounded in the present can help you to plan better and achieve a better quality of life.

#2. Inhale and exhale

Breathwork is an ancient practice but has been receiving global praise in the last few decades. As a form of meditation, breathwork can interact with the mind and nervous system, promoting stress relief.

Some breathwork routines can activate your fight or flight response, while others can help to turn it off before bed. Nowadays, there are plenty of breathwork apps available for free or a paid subscription.

#3. Change the way you plan

For many with hurry sickness, obsessive planning is at the core of their behaviors. Often, by changing the way you plan, you can change the way you approach your goals and day-to-day life.

1. Simplify: What has to be done today, and what can wait?

2. Set goals mindfully: Healthy goals are achievable and realistic.

3. Plan in “me time”: Schedule in free time slots to focus on you.

4. Loosen the reigns: Don’t give yourself a hard time if you fail.

5. Don’t plan everything: Some things don’t need to be planned — let it be!

   
   

Slow down…

Life’s not a race; it’s a slow ride. For many business professionals, life is clouded by a constant state of urgency and stress.

Learn to spot hurry sickness before it’s too late, and discover how much easier life can be when you slow down.