Understanding Hurry Sickness And The Impacts Of Feeling Rushed

Feeling hurried or rushed can be a normal part of life at times; however, if a person feels chronically short of time, it may be a sign of a hurry sickness. Hurry sickness, also called excessive time urgency, is common in young adults or busy professionals who have a lot on their plate or a long to-do list. People who feel continually rushed may experience both mental and physical health impacts over time. 

Although hurry sickness may be highly impactful, it can often be addressed through self-care practices and relaxation techniques. In some cases, it may be helpful for a person to also seek emotional support from a mental health professional like a therapist, who may be able to help address the underlying causes of continual rushing behavior. Here, we’ll explore the signs and symptoms of hurry sickness and provide some techniques and strategies that may help reduce symptoms.

Constantly feeling rushed?

Address anxiety in online therapy

What is hurry sickness? 

In addition to frequently feeling rushed, people with hurry sickness may also experience excessive restlessness during times of inaction or general impatience with delays. Constant multitasking is also common, usually due to a person believing that they should be continually productive. Although being productive can be a desirable trait for some people or in some situations, the excessive drive to be this way can have negative impacts on a person’s social, physical, and emotional health. Additionally, continual rushing may reduce the overall quality of work that a person is completing. 

Causes of hurry sickness

The cause of hurry sickness may vary from person to person, but it often stems from personal and cultural influences as well as technological impacts. Understanding the causes of their hurry sickness may help a person break free from feeling rushed. 

Personal and cultural factors

Psychosocial factors such as perfectionism may be linked to feeling hurried or rushed. For example, a person who strives for perfection might feel that it will reflect negatively on them if they don’t seamlessly finish every task put to them. On a societal level, there’s also often a general cultural focus on busyness and having a strong work ethic. In some cases, a person’s job may also place high demands on time and expect rapid results, which can cause them to feel rushed. 

Technological impacts

Technology may also play a role in causing an individual to feel hurried. Advancements in technology now allow people to get information and results instantaneously. This may create an expectation that results in other areas of life should come quickly as well. Additionally, technology-based scheduling systems may make it easier to overschedule due to constant connectivity. 

Signs and symptoms of hurry sickness

Understanding the signs of hurry sickness can help a person know when to seek support in reducing anxiety caused by being hurried. Signs and symptoms of hurry sickness can generally be broken down into three categories:

• Physical symptoms: These may include elevated heart rate, shallow breathing, and muscle tension, and trouble sleeping is also common.
• Emotional symptoms: A person may experience increased irritability, anxiety, or frustration. 
• Behavioral changes: Hurry sickness may cause an individual to check the clock frequently, have trouble relaxing or “switching off,” or skip sleep or meals to save time. 

Identifying the symptoms is often the first step in addressing the underlying causes of hurry sickness.

How feeling rushed can cause high blood pressure and impact health

Symptoms of anxiety due to feeling rushed may impact a person’s physical and mental health. Anxiety—particularly when prolonged—can change the way that the body responds to stress, likely as an evolutionary adaptation for surviving challenging situations. A person who is consistently anxious is usually living with a constant fight-or-flight response in their body, which can affect how it functions. 

Blood pressure and feeling rushed

One common physical effect of anxiety is high blood pressure, which can come coupled with an increase in coronary artery risk development. This impact is thought to be related to the survival mechanisms in the human body that react to feelings of anxiety and prepare it for a life-or-death situation. Continual stress and anxiety over time can cause the heart to work harder and the arteries to become less flexible, which may cause these physiological effects. This is just one reason why it may be beneficial for people with anxiety or hurry sickness to make a doctor’s appointment to check blood pressure or other effects of stress and receive a treatment plan if needed.

Mental health impacts of hurry sickness

In addition to physical impacts, a person living with hurry sickness may also experience related mental health impacts. An increase in stress and anxiety due to feeling rushed are the most common. In a work or school environment, feeling rushed may also eventually lead to feeling burned out. In addition, people who feel rushed and are unable to complete the many tasks on their plate may come to feel like they’re inadequate, which may lead to depression. 

Hurry sickness and underlying anxiety or bipolar disorder

In some cases, hurry sickness may also be linked to underlying mental health conditions like an anxiety disorder or bipolar disorder. Since untreated mental illnesses like these can cause additional challenges, it’s typically recommended that individuals seek professional support for symptoms as soon as possible.

Anxiety disorders and hurry sickness

Feeling some level of anxiety from time to time is a normal part of life, and feeling anxious as a result of rushing is not unusual. However, someone who feels persistently anxious in a way or to a degree that negatively impacts their daily life or functioning may have a diagnosable anxiety disorder. A person with hurry sickness could be rushing in part due to an underlying anxiety disorder, or they may develop one as a result of constant rushing. Anxiety disorders are considered treatable, but they typically require professional help to effectively address.

Bipolar disorder and hurry sickness

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by periods of mania, or extreme elation, followed in some cases by periods of depression. During periods of mania, a person with bipolar disorder may also exhibit symptoms of hurry sickness. They may become preoccupied with staying busy and it may be challenging to relax. As with anxiety, bipolar disorder and hurry sickness may become a positive feedback loop, as feeling rushed may contribute to instability of mood for people with this illness. 

Strategies to help prevent and manage hurry sickness

In addition to seeking mental health support for any underlying illnesses, strategies for preventing and managing hurry sickness can include making lifestyle adjustments and developing relaxation techniques. People may experience hurry sickness when they have too much on their plate or feel unable to manage the tasks that are scheduled. In such cases, it may be beneficial to focus on time management techniques such as setting realistic deadlines and putting some time in between tasks as a buffer. 

People with hurry sickness may also benefit from working with family members or their employer to prioritize their to-dos and free up time in their schedule to ease some of the pressure they feel. Making a point to eat regular meals and drink enough water could help a person manage the anxiety they feel as well.

In addition to implementing lifestyle changes, it may also be beneficial to incorporate research-proven mindfulness practices to help manage anxiety from the inside out. Examples can include taking deep breaths and engaging in regular meditation. Practicing gratitude may be another way to improve mental health and reduce anxiety caused by feeling rushed. This could include noting things that you appreciate and are thankful for—including whatever you were able to get done without harm to yourself—rather than focusing on missed events or what could have been.

Connecting with a mental health professional

Although it may be possible to manage the symptoms of hurry sickness without professional help, connecting with a mental health professional can often be more effective—especially for those whose hurry sickness is caused or exacerbated by an underlying mental illness. A therapist may use a combination of strategies to help a person who is having trouble with hurry sickness, including mindfulness and reflection practices as well as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques. 

For people with hurry sickness, regularly seeing a therapist in person at a brick-and-mortar office may add more stress and anxiety to an already busy life. In such cases, online therapy may be a more convenient alternative, since it allows you to attend sessions with a licensed therapist from anywhere you have a personal device and an internet connection. This means that a person can engage in therapy from home at a time that works for them—and often for a lower cost than traditional in-person sessions. Research suggests that online CBT can be an effective way to reduce anxiety in many cases and may also help a person identify and reframe negative thought patterns.