I was driving to the station in my automobile. I’d take the train into town for an hour and then walk another 15 minutes to the office.
My 5-year-old kid stayed at home with a sitter who would take him to school so I could be on time for work. I left the workplace early every day to fetch him up before his daycare closed. He was the first to arrive and the last to go.
Every morning, as I raced out the door to kiss my son goodbye, I questioned my way of life. Of course, some of us have no option owing to financial constraints or a lack of support.
On one particular morning, as I went to catch my train, a voice came over the car speakers. The subject of debate was Princeton’s Good Samaritan experiment. The group was chosen to assist the researchers in understanding why individuals to aid in certain instances but not others since they were thought to be some of society’s more altruistic members.
The “hurried” group was one of them. They were informed that they were running late for a sermon. The “unhurried” group was the second. They were also preaching, but they had plenty of time.
- Don’t Let Hurry Stop You
I’ve long wondered why we’re so eager to get somewhere other than here. We constantly appear to be tapping our feet and checking the clock in the grocery store aisle, in traffic, or while waiting for our morning coffee.
The perception that we do not have enough time is known as “time urgency,” and it is a prevalent attribute in the classic type A personality. According to London Business School, it affects over 95% of the managers he investigated over a 10-year period.
Rushing may stifle genuine conversation, increase stress, and foster animosity. According to research, worry can also contribute to egocentric conduct. Moreover, stress causes the body to release adrenaline and cortisol, which can have detrimental long-term repercussions. Even more, reason to slow down and take a deep breath.
- Determine the Right Way of Life
Nothing brought home the importance of time more than living in Thailand for three years. Thailand, sometimes known as the “Land of Smiles,” is well-known for operating on its own schedule. If you’re going to a 10 a.m. event, don’t expect anyone else to arrive until around 11 a.m.
This irritated me as an American at first. As a sign of good faith, I would come 5 minutes early. In Thailand, this got me nowhere. After a while, I acclimated to the slower, leisurely pace and began to see why the terms “jai-dee” (kind-hearted) and “jai-yen” (cool-hearted) were popular in Thailand.
When individuals spoke to me, it was customary for them to make eye contact, lay a hand on my shoulder, and smile. I wasn’t used to this closeness at first, but I finally relaxed enough to appreciate it and reciprocate.
As I hurried from errand to errand, as most Americans do, I realised that I was doing so as a distraction, not because I was under a deadline. Many of my Thai acquaintances found this conduct both perplexing and entertaining. As someone who has struggled with anxiety my whole life, I began to feel more than a touch neurotic in the most literal meaning of the word.
- Practice Kindness in Random Ways
Doing things for others is truly beneficial to our health, even to the extent of lowering mortality. Kindness has also been demonstrated to alleviate anxiety.
It’s easy to practise kindness in little doses throughout the day; no major investments or great actions are required.
Try cleaning the milk and sugar off the café counter, refilling the office coffee pot when it’s empty, or bringing your sick buddy soup while they’re at home. These are some of the exciting practices that come along with many other benefits of finding the perfect online meditation class near me.
- Adopt Compassionate Meditation Ways
sleep meditation is a technique for developing loving-kindness. It entails saying pleasant sentences to oneself and all other creatures.
It’s very effective for lowering negative feelings towards yourself and others, and it’s even been demonstrated to reduce PTSD symptoms. Meditation also activates the parasympathetic nerve system, which is in charge of the “rest and digest” response, which is the inverse of “fight or flight.”
If sitting meditation isn’t your thing, the University of California, Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center provides a plethora of recommendations for increasing compassion and giving, ranging from writing exercises to conversation questions.
- Become Friends with Everyone
It may appear little, but a genuine grin and a small conversation may go a long way.
Whether in the grocery store or getting takeout, I try to keep my phone in my pocket, look the cashier in the eyes, and start a conversation.
Meeting someone’s gaze makes us more quietly aware that they are a whole person in their own right, and it lets them know that we do as well.
In some ways, every time we don’t look someone in the eyes as we go about our daily business, we’re passing up an opportunity to see and be recognised as a relevant, valued human being with a feeling of shared identity.
The Final Words
Are we getting less human as we become more hurried? In my experience, maintaining a “cool heart” in a fast-paced setting is far more challenging.
What impact does our continual rush and stress have on us as social beings? And how different would the world be if we weren’t always hustling to get somewhere? There is a link between slowing down, lowering stress, and feeling more connected, sympathetic, and at peace. Flexing that muscle makes life more enjoyable and can help us become kinder people.
