I can’t stop, I’m flying

By ALICE O’BRIEN Alice O’Brien Counselling, Newmarket

Have you ever been in a situation where you run into someone you know and they are in a huge rush? Even had someone arrange to meet you but tell you how busy they are and how they don’t have much time? Or maybe you’ve been the person who can’t fully engage with an activity because you keep thinking of all the different tasks that need to be done? Let’s face it, with life getting more and more demanding, it’s something we encounter a lot. But, the reality is that we are living in a cycle of urgency.

So, how much of this way of thinking is due to actual demands and how much is due to having a fear of missing out, a need to always be chasing something else?

One possible reason for this culture of urgency is the availability of information from social media; we are never off-line so we can very easily see the adventures that await us and feel that we need to be striving towards them instead of being present in the moment. Life can seem very urgent when we think like this, causing us to rush though the everyday activities as we feel we will eventually arrive at our desired adventure.

The downfall of this way of living is that we don’t see the joy in the ordinary or the fun in the everyday interactions if we are rushing through the ordinary to get to the extra-ordinary. The extra-ordinary that we may not even recognise as we are already thinking about the next thing.

So, what’s the solution? The obvious answer is to slow down, to enjoy the moment. Take a breath, ground yourself in the presenttake in the sights and sounds around you. Try to enjoy the interactions you are having. Try to remember not to be afraid to slow down- go with the slow, you might even enjoy it.