Checklist: 7 signs that you are in a hurry all the time - but in vain

ALEXANDRA SAVINA

We used to live at a fast pace: do a dozen things to do per day, deal with the endless stream of information and a host of notifications that pop up on the phone every hour. And if one in this mode is quite comfortable, for others the endless race causes only stress and anxiety. Thanks to the latter, even the so-called slow movement appeared, that is, a movement for slow pace and regularity, calling for a search for an individual pace. Even if you do not share the principles of the “slow” approach to life, there is always a reason to wonder whether you are stuck in an endless race. We understand whether it is time to slow down.

You eat on the run (and do not follow what you eat)

Slow Food, perhaps the oldest part of the movement for the dimension in everything - it appeared in the late eighties. Slow Food activists advocate the support and development of a meaningful approach to food: against fast food, for local production, tasty and balanced food, cooking which does not harm nature. Even if you are not ready to think about how the contents of your plate affect the planet, the principles of "slow" food may still be useful.

First of all, the diet should be balanced and varied. Alas, it is these principles that we most often are willing to sacrifice for the sake of speed. Although there is no evidence that watching TV or working at a computer interferes with digestion, it is also impossible to say that this does not affect our health at all. Distracted by something, it is easy to mechanically continue to eat even after the feeling of hunger is gone - so it’s worthwhile to listen more often to your own organism and sensations.

It is also worthwhile to be more conscious of what you eat. This, of course, is not about preparing a three-course dinner every night instead of sleeping, which you will take to the office the next morning. Just try to eat more diverse and, if possible, reduce the amount of trans fat and hidden sugar in the diet.

You do a bunch of things at once.

In an attempt to be in time more and faster, many of us act radically and take on several cases at the same time. Unfortunately, research says that multitasking does not really help us to become more productive: instead of doing two things at the same time with brilliance, we simply switch between the one and the other, sometimes so quickly that we don’t notice it ourselves. And if combining ironing with watching a series can be easy, then by answering work mail during a meeting, you risk not dealing with either the first or the second. This is the case when, in the name of productivity, you should listen to the old adage - you go slower, you will continue.

You are irritable

We have already said that stress can manifest itself in unobvious symptoms, such as problems with sleep or digestion. One of the important signs that you should pay special attention to your condition is irritability. If you feel that all the time on the cocked, or began to notice that angry because of the little things that you would not have paid attention to before, you may be overwhelmed and it's time to take a pause. Remember that irritability can speak not only about stress, but also about health problems - so if necessary, it makes sense to turn to more specialists: a neurologist and an endocrinologist.

You even relax actively

There is nothing wrong with carefully planning the weekend - after all, many of us have time and energy for big events only on Saturday and Sunday. The main thing is not to forget in the process, actually, to rest. We have already said that the principle of "the best rest is a change in the type of activity" and an attempt to benefit from every free minute can lead to exactly the opposite result: instead of gaining strength, you may feel exhausted and tired. No wonder: active rest, as well as affairs, takes away resources and forces.

Psychologist Sandy Mann notes that it is useful for everyone to get bored from time to time - to dream and let thoughts quietly flow from one to another, without concentrating on urgent matters. If this is not your option (few of whom actually get nothing to do for several hours), try to pay attention to slow hobbies like embroidery or pottery - the main thing is not to set yourself productivity goals, but to relax and enjoy the process calmly.

Your schedule is scored to the limit.

In large cities, only one way to work and meetings can take an hour and a half - it is not surprising that many of us find that the diary is scheduled for several weeks in advance. In planning, of course, there is nothing bad - it is only important not to drive oneself, trying to do as much as possible.

This also includes the habit to immediately fill in any arising pause, whether it was the evening after work that you decided to devote to reading useful books for work, the habit of checking emails while you brush your teeth for two minutes in the morning, or the decision to immediately wash the stove while the dinner warms up microwave. Productivity is great, but if you feel that you can not stop in the flow of affairs, perhaps this is a wake-up call.

It's hard for you to concentrate

We are accustomed to explain the impossibility of concentrating on one business for a variety of reasons: laziness, procrastination, clip thinking and anything else. But sometimes the explanation for all this - in stress and overload. If it is difficult for you to concentrate, thoughts jump, and a simple working solution takes much more time than usual, you should look at your own regime and the list of cases - perhaps in the pursuit to do more and faster, you overestimate your capabilities.

You do everything quickly

The habit of not wasting time helps many: it is useful in work and outside it (is there anything in the world that pleases more than quickly cracking down on cleaning?). Still, there are situations when it doesn’t mean better faster - sometimes the desire to accelerate drives us into a pace that is difficult to maintain. Quickly walk from one place to another, deal with dinner in five minutes - all this is quite okay if you spend the day on the run and you need to quickly deal with things.

However, if you do not remember when the last time you spent on food for more than five to seven minutes, it is probably time to think about whether you asked too high a pace. This also applies to the (dangerous) habit of running across the road to a red light, and the desire to press the elevator button every second until it finally rises to the right floor - think whether the thirty seconds you have saved will radically change your day?

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