Hi there. Time is a valuable asset, we all know that. The passage of time can make anyone worried at times. However, some people may find themselves getting anxious as the minutes and hours go by. Today we will be discussing a less talked about form of anxiety, also known as time anxiety.
Time Anxiety is the constant feeling that there is never enough time. It makes you feel like you are running short, and that this does not allow you to make the most of the time you have in your hands.
You may be thinking about getting things done by marking them on your calendar or setting up a schedule. But, in the end, you feel like you do not have enough time to get on top of it all.
Symptoms of time anxiety
Time anxiety can show up in several forms and can vary for different people and situations.
Being worried about being late
Time anxiety can make you stress over being late. It is the desire to be on time and feeling that tardiness can ruin your chances of being successful in life.
There is not anything wrong with wanting to be on time. But, you might end up checking the clock every now and then and spend a lot of time planning everything out. The anxiousness around being late might have you on edge all the time. When these plans do not come out as they should have, you feel even worse.
Even being late by a few minutes at a birthday party might get you all worked up. Even when, being on time isn’t even that important at the time.
You have a fear of missing out
This is about being late in the big picture of life. The anxiousness about not achieving certain goals by a certain age or not being able to keep up with your plans in life like- getting married by a certain age.
You feel like you have already missed out on certain opportunities and this anxiousness clouds your judgment while thinking about solutions.
You feel the need to rush even when you don’t have to. You feel like time is slipping away even on weekends. You feel like you have to catch up with things even when you have a day off.
How to cope
Think of taking a break as the ultimate goal for the day.
Taking breaks is important for you to be productive when you get to work. So, you need to prioritize taking your breaks as much as you prioritize your work.
You feel uncomfortable when you don’t tick everything off your to-do list
Be it a normal workday or a vacation, you feel uneasy when you do not get to do everything you had previously planned for the day.
For example, you can think of that time when you had planned to do in your free time, on a holiday. You felt excited about doing fun things you have planned for the day, but for some reason, you are unable to check everything off your list.
This makes you feel uneasy and frustrated. You feel unsatisfied with the things you still managed to do.
How to cope
Focus on the things you did manage to do
Thinking about what you couldn’t do will only make you feel worse, instead, focus on how much fun you had with what you did do. Also, you can tell yourself that you have left that task for another day. This will take the burden off your chest
You worry a lot about the future
We all feel uncertain about the future at times. But you shouldn’t be so focused on what you will do next that you do not take necessary action in the now. As we grow up we are told how time is a precious resource and how it shouldn’t be wasted. However, when we look at how much time we have left, we feel like it is limited.
This might make you feel like you have too much work and very little time to complete it and you might lose motivation to do what you have to in order to achieve.
How to cope
Understand that time will keep flowing if you worry about it or not
You might feel a little uncomfortable at first, but when you realize this, you will start feeling better. Acknowledging the problem helps you analyze how big that is. Sometimes, the problem isn’t as big as you perceive it to be.
Awareness about the condition is the first step towards healing. We all want to make the best use of our time, but worrying about how time isn’t the way to do it. Here are some things you can do to manage time anxiety.
Talk to a therapist if you need to
If you think you are unable to cope with your anxiety with time, then it is best you talk to a therapist. They will help you work your way out of this situation and help you feel better. Follow our Instagram.
