Is Life a Blur? What does rushing do to us?
Updated: Aug 13
We all have times when doing things quickly is useful. But when life starts to feel like one long rush, it may be worth asking ourselves why — and what effect this is having on us.
When rushing becomes a habit
How much of your life do you spend feeling in a hurry?
There is nothing wrong with occasionally rushing around. Getting children ready for school, meeting a deadline, or trying to get somewhere on time are all normal parts of life.
But sometimes we can feel hurried even when there is no real need to rush. It can be as though our nervous system has become stuck in “hurry mode”.
Think about a typical rushed morning. You might slam doors, brush your teeth too hard, rush up the stairs, eat quickly, and try to do several things at once. Every now and then, this probably will not cause any problems. But if it becomes your usual way of moving through life, it can affect both your mind and your body.
In the Alexander Technique, we sometimes refer to the whole person as our “psychophysical self”. This simply means that our thoughts, emotions, and physical responses are closely connected.
The tension created by rushing
When we are in a hurry, we often stop paying attention to how we are doing things. We may use more force than necessary to get the job done as quickly as possible.
We might:
Grip the steering wheel tightly.
Hold our breath while concentrating.
Type or write with unnecessary effort.
Walk quickly with a great deal of force.
Take the stairs two at a time.
Brace ourselves while sitting at a desk.
Move straight from one task to the next without pausing.
Using extra effort can sometimes make us feel as though we are being more productive. But it is not always the quickest or most effective way to do things. It can also leave us feeling tense, tired, and on edge.
The muscles may remain partly contracted after a task has finished, rather than returning to a more comfortable state. We may then carry that tension into the next activity without realising it.
Over time, this can become a familiar pattern. We may feel as though we are always preparing for the next thing, even when there is no immediate danger or demand.
How the Alexander Technique can help
As an Alexander Technique teacher, I often see people who are unaware of how much tension they are carrying. They may come to me with back pain, neck pain, or joint pain. They may also feel that they have lost some of their natural balance and ease of movement.
The Alexander Technique helps us become more aware of how we move and use ourselves during everyday activities. It is not a set of exercises. Instead, it offers practical tools that can be used while sitting, standing, walking, working, or carrying out ordinary tasks.
With greater awareness, we can begin to notice when we are tightening or bracing unnecessarily. We can then learn to pause, reduce some of that effort, and allow movement to become easier.
This does not mean trying to hold ourselves in a perfect position. It is not about forcing the body to be upright. It is about discovering a more balanced and coordinated way of moving, with less unnecessary tension.
Many people find that this helps them feel lighter, calmer, and more comfortable in themselves.
My own experience of rushing
I will be honest: I have spent a lot of my life in a hurry.
Often, this was because I had not allowed myself enough time to get from one place to another. I seemed to be pre-programmed to arrive five or ten minutes late for everything.
For a long time, I wondered why. Was I always too busy? Was being late inevitable? Or had I simply underestimated how long things would take?
I suspect I am not alone in having unhelpful habits around time. I have also wondered whether there can be a strange attraction to the heightened sense of importance that comes with being in a hurry.
Perhaps the little adrenaline rush makes us feel as though we are living on the edge. But often, we are not doing anything particularly exciting. We are simply running late.
Less haste, more speed
There will always be times when it is useful to do something quickly. The aim is not to move slowly all the time or to avoid being efficient.
My own motto has become: “Less haste, more speed.”
When I give myself time and avoid creating unnecessary drama around a task, I often do things more quickly and effectively. I make fewer mistakes, use less effort, and feel calmer while I am doing them.
It is still a work in progress, but changing this habit has made a significant difference to how I feel, think, and function.
How to create more space
If you recognise yourself in this pattern of rushing, you could try the following:
Allow more time to get up, get ready, and leave the house.
Build a small time buffer into your journeys.
Give yourself enough time to eat your meals without rushing.
Be realistic about how long tasks are likely to take.
Set a limit on how much you put on your daily to-do list.
Say no to some things when your day is already full.
If you are going to be late, accept it and continue as calmly as you can.
Giving yourself more time is a way of offering yourself kindness and respect. You may also find that you have more patience and attention to offer other people.
There will always be moments when we need to hurry, and that is perfectly normal. But with a little planning, realistic expectations, and some breathing space, life does not have to feel like a constant race.
Try spending one day noticing when you rush. See whether you can pause and do things in less of a hurry. You may be surprised by how different it feels.
I would love to hear what changes for you when you are not always in a hurry.
Get in touch if you’d like to experience how the Alexander Technique can help you notice and change ingrained habits, so that you can move through life with less tension and more ease.
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