Our lives have become busier than ever, to the extent that rushing has become a way of life. Unfortunately it is a way of life that is not conducive to health and wellness. Every rushing moment literally squeezes the joy out of life. It has become a “normal” way to exist, and those that are seen to be rushing and busy are considered more purposeful and useful. It is a fallacy.

Many years ago I decided that when someone asked me how I was, I would no longer give the knee-jerk response ” busy”. Now I focus on making my working time super-efficient, so that my non-work time maybe fully enjoyed with family, friends, on the golf course, or relaxing.

Try these 5 tips and see if they reduce that sense of rush.

1) The night before – get ready for the next day the night before. Bags packed, lunches prepared, clothes ready. Those of us with school-age children will know how stressful it can be getting the kids “out the door”! Planning, preparation, rewards are useful for them and for you!

2) Mornings– the morning rush hour maybe turned into a morning bliss hour simply by waking up a little earlier. Just 30 minutes earlier and you will feel like you have a whole lot more time to get ready. You may even be able to incorporate a gym session, yoga class or meditation to start the day.

3) Departure– Plan to get to your destination 15 minutes before time. If you start work at 9am, plan to get there by 8.45am. This will eliminate rushing in a huge way. It allows for unanticipated problems such as traffic, delayed public transport, or other unforeseen circumstances.

4) The day– create spaces in your day. Whether you are a businessman, stockbroker, mother, doctor, accountant, or tradie, it is important to periodically pause, settle, and then fire up again. Stand up from your desk and move around. If you are on the go moving from meeting to meeting, then stop for 5 minutes and rest. Control your calendar schedule, so you are not cutting it to the very last minute.

5) Breathe and be– there are iphone apps these days or fitness bands that will give you a reminder at set times to get up and move. You can use such technologies to remind you to pause. A very useful techniques for anyone on the go, is to take 3 mindful breaths at regular intervals. It maybe after every phone call, or after every meeting, or between every consultation.

Reducing the rushing habit is one of the most significant actions you can take for your own Health and Well-being.

Give it a go!

In Health and Wellness