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Why rush through life?

An intriguing term I first head years ago was "Hurry Sickness," coined by psychologist Bruce Baldwin.

According to Baldwin, the key factor in Hurry Sickness is the need to complete tasks, to get the job done as quickly as possible, neglecting the enjoyment of what one is doing. This need to hurry up applies not only to work, but also to personal, family and leisure activities.

That Hurry Sickness is a reality can be seen in book titles such as "Eating on the Run," "How to Put 20 Hours in an 8-Hour Day" and "Slowing Down to the Speed of Life."

Here's a simple quiz to see if you suffer from it:

1. Do you feel like you're always racing the clock? And at the end of the day, do you feel like the clock won?
2. Are you so intent on getting the job done that you don't enjoy the process?
3. When working on one task, are you already thinking about the next job to do?
4. Do you get impatient with people who move or drive slower than you do?
5. Do you eat on the run or skip meals altogether?
6. Do you dislike standing in line?
7. Do you walk up or down moving escalators?
8. Are you not home much, and when you are, are you too tired for meaningful interaction with others?
9. In a conversation, when the other person hesitates while speaking, do you fill in words for him/her?
10. Are holidays like any other (work) day?

If you answered yes to five or more of the above, you've been infected with Hurry Sickness.

In my next column, I'll share some ideas to help you to slow down, but before that I'd like you to take a little time and ask yourself the following questions:

» What am I rushing to?
» Why am I rushing?
» Is all this rushing necessary?
» Is it satisfying?
» Is all this rushing worth it?
» Does it add to or lessen my quality of life?
And lastly,
» What can I do to decrease the amount of rushing that I do?

Now, put into practice your answer to the last question. That should help to begin the decelerating process.

See you in two weeks!