Time Pressure and Happiness
The number one behavior that creates unhappiness in my life is time pressure. I have a tendency to hurry to get things done. This method is very effective at getting things accomplished but there are significant drawbacks.
The dilemma is the major benefit of getting things done quickly vs. the major cost of increased stress and tense relationships.
Overall, I have noticed that time pressure makes it harder for me to be happy in the moment. When I am in a hurry, all of the complexity in my life reduces to a single task that needs to be accomplished by a certain time. This intense focus on one detail means that I block out my moment-by-moment awareness of the wonder of life.
The world rewards me when I use time pressure on myself to get things done. The rewards are so powerful and consistent that often I fall into “busy mode” automatically, without even thinking about it.
Making myself feel time pressure comes at a major cost. Time pressure,
- Creates additional stress in my life
- Makes it harder to appreciate the beauty in the world around me
- Insists that I vividly imagine the negative consequences of not accomplishing a task on time
- Makes it necessary that I give utmost attention to one detail, while giving me permission to ignore other details
- Makes me feel powerful and effective
- Asks that I think of other fellow human beings (and myself) as machines
I acknowledge that the use of time pressure is a choice. And like a drug, I acknowledge that I am addicted to time pressure.
I wonder how time pressure and flow are related. Could it be that part of what makes rushing so appealing and addictive is that it induces flow?
