Curing Hurry Sickness: How I Learned to Slow Down in a Fast-Paced World

My whole adult life, I’ve dealt with hurry sickness. It started during my first year of work–rushing back from my out-of-town job to make Friday hour happy with friends. It then got worse when I had kids. I hurried to get home, I hurried to get to work, and I hurried through lunches at my desk.  

I didn’t recognize my hurry until I took some time off and became aware of the messages my body was sending me. Even with nowhere to be, I hurried when I went shopping, something I love to do. I hurried past cars to reach destinations with no time constraints. I hurried through my meals without actually tasting them. 

Contrary to what you might be thinking, I didn’t make up the term Hurry Sickness. The term was coined in the 1970s by cardiologist, Meyer Friedman, who also first identified Type A personality. This condition leads to many stress-related physical and mental health issues. 

Does this sound like you? If so, it’s time to learn how NOT to hurry.   

Here are a few strategies that helped me: 

Mindfulness Practices: Becoming aware of your hurried state is the first step toward deploying tools to slow down. 

Slow-Down Systems: Create daily structures that force pauses. Think calendar notifications that tell you to take a break, a reminder to slow down on your smartwatch, blocked time to relax on your calendar, or scheduling slow-down sessions with friends or colleagues. 

Prioritize: Identify 1-3 things that are most important for the day. Give yourself permission to let the rest of the crazy to-do list go if you don’t get to it. Do an ideal day visualization to help you determine your priorities.

Learn to Say “No”: This simple word is among the most powerful in our vocabulary. It allows you to set boundaries, conserve energy, and create space. Focus on what saying “no” gives you rather than what it takes away.

Breathwork: Take breath breaks throughout the day to reset your nervous system and interrupt the hurry cycle. Don’t know where to start? Try one of my guided breathwork videos here.