How Many Times Today Did You Feel In a Rush?
How Many Times Today Did You Feel In a Rush?
By: Dr. Roger Landry, MD, MPH
How many times today did you feel rushed?
How often do you worry?
We tend to pride ourselves on how much we can accomplish at warp speed, while juggling several tasks, simultaneously. Technology and societal values delude us into believing we are indeed effectively driving, drinking our coffee, talking on the phone, thinking of the upcoming meeting, and railing against the person who just cut in front of our car.
But the truth is, for most of the time man has been on earth time had little meaning. There was sunrise and sunset and the seasons. Our physiology is still that of these ancestors, not yet adapted to our new fast-paced world, where time seems to dominate.
The end result? This constant feeling of being in a rush actually thwarts productivity and creativity, hurts human interaction and raises our risk for heart disease, dementia, depression and even cancer.
This week, I’d like to offer four “stop the rush” tips for a better successful aging experience …
1) Work Sequentially – Dr. Sandi Chapman, author of Make Your Brain Smarter,advises us about the “power of one.” That is, our brains are not wired to do two things at once. Instead of multitasking, she recommends we sequential task.
2) Make a “Yes” List – Some experts recommend that you pick five essential priorities in your life. Meet those needs, and say “no” to everything else. At the very least, take an inventory of how you spend your time. Are there activities that you might limit, such as prolonged TV watching or Internet surfing?
3) Practice Mindfulness – As thoughts or worries come up that cause you to think about anything other than what you are doing at a given moment, guide yourself back to the present moment. The contemporary mystic Osho advises doing a periodic stop … stopping dead in your tracks for 30 seconds to observe where your mind is and what it’s doing.
4) Unplug Regularly – Schedule blocks of time where you can be technologically “unplugged” for at least an hour (sleeping doesn’t count). During that time, refrain from checking your cell phone for calls, emails, or texts or logging on to your computer to surf the net. Devote this time to read, participate in a hobby or meet a friend for lunch – anything that does not involve something that begins with an “e” or “i” such as email or iPhone. Live long. Live well!