A few years ago, when the beast that is anxiety made it’s way in to my life, I was beside myself. Was this my destiny? Would I continue to be crippled by the weight of stress and worry and tension as I got older? I had a hard time accepting that but had no idea if I had any control over this new sensation I was feeling. All I knew was that I wasn’t willing to just sit back and let it rule my life. With that I began dissecting the triggers. When I got worked up, I dug deep in to the WHY. If I knew why, could I change the outcome? Ultimately deciding that YES, I had the power to take control of my anxiety. It started with identifying my triggers then forming the knowledge of how to circumvent them or calmly manage them if they couldn’t be avoided.
One of my biggest triggers, I learned, was being in a hurry. Whether it be getting to a meeting, a friend’s house for dinner, a job, a class, a flight…if I was feeling rushed my anxiety would be palpable. And the more I hurry, the less graceful (and gracious) I become. I get cranky, clumsy and flustered. Thus begins my day turning sour; because once I got in that hurried and frustrated mind-frame, I didn’t know how to recover from it. Like a dark shadow that I couldn’t shake, my anxiety would follow me around for the rest of the day.
If being in a hurry was disrupting my life the way that it was, I decided it was time to focus all of my energy on avoiding being rushed. This meant creating systems within my business that set me up for success when it came to meeting deadlines. Most importantly, it meant always ALWAYS leaving 15 minutes earlier than I needed to, anytime I had a commitment to be somewhere. Now that a few years have passed I can say that identifying and managing this major trigger has been a huge success in defeating my anxiety. I very rarely am in a hurry, because I refuse to put myself in that situation. I chose to make that a priority in my life and have gladly avoided many bad days because of it.
Slowing down has not only tamed my anxiety but has showed me so many other reasons why nothing good comes from running around like a crazy person. Here are 5 reasons why life gets better when you avoid being in a hurry:
1. Anxiety feeds itself.
Once you’ve fallen prey to it, it only gets worse. If being in a hurry causes you anxiety like it does me, you know that the combination of the two is anything but productive. Building extra time in to your day or your drive can be the deciding factor between a great day and a shitty day.
2. When you rush you get sloppy.
Attention to detail goes out the window. All you’re doing is trying to get something done or get somewhere as fast as possible. This is only creating room for errors and accidents. Having ample time leaves you room to complete a task to the highest standard. On the road, you’re much more likely to avoid an accident or altercation if you’re not in a hurry.
3. When you have time, you’re able to gracefully handle unforeseen problems.
If you’re already rushed and then on top of it you encounter a problem, you’ve left yourself with no time to formulate a Plan B. Now your hands are tied and you’re left with nothing but stress that’s about to go off like a grenade. Time allows you to problem solve, something that stress directly prohibits.
4. Building extra time in to your day opens your life up to new experiences.
I used to always be in a hurry to every meeting and appointment. Now that I always plan to be at least 15 minutes early, I’m able to slow down and soak in my surroundings. If there’s a beautiful sunset or rainbow, I pull over and take some photos. Arriving early at a job allows me to assess the conditions and say hello to my colleagues. When I deliver a job long before it’s due, I treat myself to a hike or take the time to cook a nice dinner. Building more time than you think you need in to your schedule has far more positive results than constantly trying to catch up.
5. Your energy is contagious.
My husband and I are business partners and when I was riddled with anxiety it did nothing but cause him stress too. Inversely, when I am calm, he is happy. It’s one thing to cause yourself anxiety but it sucks even worse to spread it around. Living in a relaxed state not only feels amazing, it creates a wonderful energy to share with those around you.
It takes time to adjust your thinking and your schedule to this new approach. However, from my experience, it has been well worth the quest. Slowing down allows me to think and thinking allows me to react to my life in the most favorable way rather than just putting out fires left and right.
