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Hurry Is Not Of The Devil, It Is The Devil. C. G. Jung

In this fast-paced and highly pressurised world we seem to be in a collective Hurry-Up driver.

The promise that technology would ease our lives is proving false for many.

The levels of stress, anxiety and depression have reached epidemic scales. Depression is the most critical mental health problem of our time followed closely by anxiety, according to the WHO.

In the individualised West, we tend to blame ourselves for not being able to cope with the pressures that are placed on us by low incomes, isolation, systemic inflexibility, structural inequality and the ever-increasing demands of technology, which deliberately exploit our propensity to addiction.

The benefits of mindfulness can be a good counterbalance to the mindlessness that we are invited to engage in.

However, when we are in an exhaustion cycle, we can all too quickly revert to watching Netflix, (doom) scrolling and checking how many likes we have received, in an attempt to comfort ourselves.

Some would even say we are actually losing our minds in the unlimited, unremitting barrage of information that we are invited to introject.

Our brains are not developed to manage the potential overwhelm and pace of change that is constantly eroding our autonomy.

One of the comments I often heard when working in a prison was ‘Have I got it or has it got me?’.

When it’s got me, I have no control over my thoughts, feelings and actions and am in the full grip of my Script.

When I’ve got it, I am able to recognise my addictive patterns and triggers and develop a stronger Adult where I can take some control over how I spend my time.

According to Blaise Pascal ‘All humanities problems stem from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone’.

This quote is often interpreted as highlighting the discomfort and restlessness that many people feel when faced with solitude and introspection.

The constant distractions and noise of the world can often prevent us from truly reflecting on ourselves and our lives.

The obvious counterbalance to the Hurry Driver is not just to slow down, but to actually stop and take time to be with ourselves, in nature, in silence or some kind of contemplation.

These things will not emerge naturally from the fast-paced life we are living, but will require us to make a decision.

We need to prioritise ourselves and support young people so they are aware taking time for themselves is not a luxury but a necessity for well-being.

When we start to do that, we begin the process of taking back some control of our own lives and minds.

Words by Geoff Hopping