How to Manage Hurry Sickness: Causes, Effects, Treatment

Hurry sickness is the feeling of constantly being behind and rushed, which causes stress and anxiety. If you are experiencing hurry sickness, you may feel like you’re always racing to accomplish tasks on your to-do list, leading to frustration if anything holds you up. While multitasking under time pressure can boost your productivity in the short term, it can damage your long-term health and relationships.

Fundamentally, repetitive thoughts of being behind and not accomplishing enough—which increase stress and anxiety—cause hurry sickness. Constantly checking digital devices and comparing accomplishments to others on social media are modern-day behaviors that help lay the groundwork for this thought and behavior pattern.

Additionally, a type-A personality may be more prone to hurry sickness due to schedule- and list-making habits.

Hurry sickness can affect your well-being in several ways, including:

1. 1. Burnout: High achievers or those with Type-A personalities are more likely to experience hurry sickness since their focus is always on constantly accomplishing more. However, this extreme sense of time urgency often leads to burnout—a marked decline in emotional, mental, and, occasionally, physical health caused by consistently high stress levels. Learn more about burnout and how to avoid it.
2. 2. Constant worry: Hurry sickness involves constantly thinking about the next task, which can put you in a steady state of low-grade anxiety.
3. 3. Damage to physical health: Chronic stress can cause adverse health effects—ranging from a suppressed immune system and difficulty sleeping to hypertension—in some cases.
4. 4. Fatigue: If you experience hurry sickness, you’re likely to find yourself exhausted far before your day is over because you’re constantly jumping from task to task to keep up with your own standards.
5. 5. Fixation on saving time: A key characteristic of hurry sickness is the feeling that you never have enough time to complete the tasks on your to-do list. This feeling may cause you to fixate on getting things done in the least amount of time possible, leading to mistakes.
6. 6. Irritability: Hurry sickness causes you to focus on productivity and almost nothing else, leading to irritability with anyone and anything that gets in the way.
7. 7. Relationship strain: When you’re focused on getting things done quickly, you may have a hard time slowing down to be present with loved ones.

There are several ways to combat hurry sickness, including:

1. 1. Recognize the signs. The first step to conquering hurry sickness is to realize what’s happening. Pay attention to your behavioral patterns and recognize if you’re constantly thinking of ways to save time. Take note of any stress-related feelings associated with time management and accomplishing scheduled tasks.
2. 2. Learn proper prioritization. Reframe your thinking around your to-do list in a way that doesn’t assign equal weight to every task. Instead, prioritize the items that require extra effort or are time-sensitive, and focus on completing those first. Proper prioritization will help you relax as you complete the remainder of your tasks, some of which you can take care of later.
3. 3. Take breaks. As you move through your to-do list, be intentional and move slowly between tasks. Go for long walks, spend time with family, or read a good book. These breaks will allow you to more efficiently devote your efforts to the tasks at hand when you return.
4. 4. Practice mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness and learning how to slow down and be in the moment can help to alleviate a persistent sense of urgency. Learn how to meditate or perform a breathing exercise to encourage relaxation. Meditate in the morning to help calm yourself down about the day’s tasks, or do a mid-day meditation session when you’re feeling stressed.
5. 5. Practice self-care. It’s essential to take care of yourself—by eating a balanced diet when possible, getting good sleep, and taking time away from work—to keep your body and mind in good working order. Especially during an intense bout of hurry sickness, prioritizing self-care (whatever that looks like to you) can make all the difference.
6. 6. Seek additional help. If you’re experiencing difficulty managing your hurry sickness independently, medical and mental health professionals can help you combat this feeling. If you aren’t sure what to do, schedule a doctor’s appointment with your primary care physician and explain what you’re experiencing.

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