People are wearing themselves out. Are you one of them?
One study on professional services firms found that the majority of respondents said their jobs were“highly demanding, exhausting, and chaotic.”
If that sounds like you – or if you are heading that direction – you may end up with “hurry sickness.” This malady was first identified more than fifty years ago by two cardiologists who saw the damaging effects of “hurrying” on their patients’ health. The anxiety and stress from constant “hurry” can result in high blood pressure, insomnia, and headaches. It increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
That all sounds pretty bad. But, the good news is that you can do something about it. Following are some suggestions based on a recent article from Harvard Business Review.
First, you need to cut down your volume of work:
- Delegate More. You will never advance in your career if you do not practice effective delegation. Check out this blog for more details on how to do this.
- Say No More Frequently. Create a new standard response to requests – which is “Tell me more about the expectations.” And then “Thanks – I will get back to you tomorrow.” Take the time to assess if this is something you can reasonably do. Stop making “Yes” your default.
- Negotiate Deadlines. People always want something “yesterday.” And actually, their requests are not all that urgent. After considering requests for 24 hours, suggest a different deadline if you are going to take on the project at all.
Once your workload is reduced:
- Block Time for Your Work. Don’t make yourself constantly available for meetings. Make sure you have time on your calendar to do your work.
- Become Selective About Performance Standards. Not everything needs to be perfect. You know this, but you need to actually work this way. Some things can just be “good enough.”
- Relentlessly Prioritize. Make sure that you and your boss are clear on your priorities and communicate clearly if some things are not going to get done.
- Practice Mindfulness. You will still be left with a full plate even after taking all these suggestions. Try to take a few minutes a day – even if it is just for some quiet time with deep breathing – to slow down.
We all know that rushing from one project to another is a bad idea. Take the time to slow down, prioritize, and work at a more reasonable pace. The quality of your mental and physical health will improve, as well as the quality of your work.
*Ideas for this blog taken from: Wiens, K. “The Insidious Effects of Hurrying,” Harvard Business Review online, January 13, 2025.
