Living in today’s fast-paced world, the pressure to constantly achieve and succeed can feel overwhelming. From work deadlines to social media notifications, we’re bombarded with stimuli that fuel a sense of urgency in our daily lives. But what are the psychological implications of residing in an “urgency culture,” and how can we navigate it without succumbing to overwhelm or burnout?
National Geographic’s article, “The Urgency of Slowing Down in an ‘Urgency Culture,'” sheds light on the detrimental effects of inhabiting a culture that prizes speed and productivity above all else.
One of the article’s key concepts is “time urgency,” which describes the feeling of constantly being rushed and pressured to accomplish tasks quickly. From a social psychological viewpoint, this phenomenon can be understood through the lens of social comparison theory. When we perceive others as achieving more or moving faster than us, we feel compelled to keep up, resulting in an endless cycle of haste and stress.
Our reliance on technology and social media has blurred the lines between work and leisure, making it challenging to disconnect and engage in meaningful interactions with others. This constant connectivity can, somewhat ironically, erode our sense of belonging and contribute to feelings of loneliness and alienation.
The constant pressure to always be “on” both professionally and personally can lead to a heightened state of alertness, fuelling a sense of urgency. This hypervigilance significantly contributes to increased stress and anxiety, which overtime can have a negative impact on physical and mental health.
Research has demonstrated that chronic stress and burnout are closely tied to a heightened sense of time urgency and the pressure to continually achieve. From a psychological standpoint, this can be attributed to the phenomenon of “ego depletion,” where our cognitive resources become exhausted after prolonged periods of self-regulation and effortful control.
So, how can we combat urgency culture and safeguard our mental well-being?
- First we need to notice the urgency-hamster-wheel we are caught on and take a step off. Fostering present-moment awareness, or mindfulness, can be invaluable. By slowing down, taking a breath, and becoming intentional in our behaviour we can begin to re-direct our time, energy and attention on what matters most.
- Recruit others to join you. It is hard to change a culture on your own. Discuss the ways you get caught up or impacted by urgency culture and what it is you want to do differently. Ask questions of yourself and others that alert you if you have defaulted to the urgency-hamster-wheel, like “Is this the most important thing I could be doing today?”.
- Thirdly, learn to prioritise and hold your boundaries. By understanding the limits on your time, energy and attention you can become more realistic about what is possible to achieve over a day, a week, a lifetime.
