When Life Speeds Up, Our Health Slows Down

I wasn't sure if it was just aging or the fact that I was constantly rushing, but for a while it felt like I was always dropping things. I kept wondering, Are my fingers not working like they used to? Or am I simply hurrying and not paying attention? 

Why is it today our plates always seem so full? And when did being “busy” become something, we brag about? It feels like the whole world is in a constant hurry and wearing this “hurry” as a badge of honor.

Hurry is basically living in a state of urgency. And after 26 years working in the corporate design world, one of the most common concepts I’ve seen is “less is more.” That idea applies to a lot more than design. We’re all being asked to do more with less—less time, less budget, fewer resources. Carl Jung once said, “Hurry is not of the devil; hurry is the devil,” and honestly… I get it.

When you ask someone how they’re doing, the answer is almost always, “Good, just busy.” I hear it everywhere—from coworkers, friends, family, even clients. It never sat well with me, so a while back I decided to stop saying “I’m busy.” I started saying things like, “I’m focused,” or something more genuine, like, “I didn’t sleep great, but the sunrise on my morning run was beautiful.” It felt more honest.

Ways I practice slowing down: going for walks with my dogs, embracing nature's beauty in sunrises & sunsets

I once had a mentor who always answered the “how are you doing” question with, “I’ve never had a better day.” At the time, it made no sense to me. We were stressed, overworked, exhausted—how on earth was he having his “best day” every single day?

But now I get it. What he was saying comes down to perspective. He was alive. He had been given another day—not everyone gets that gift. The work was still going to be there, the deadlines weren’t going anywhere, but leaning into one task at a time with intention helped slow everything down because when we keep the bigger picture front of mind, everything else seems less important. That shift has made a huge difference in my mental and emotional well-being.

I recently read The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, and it completely changed how I think about time. The book mentioned that everything shifted back in 1370 when the first public clock tower went up in Germany. Before that, people lived by the natural rhythm of sunrise and sunset. Then clocks came along, and suddenly time wasn’t ours anymore—hello, 9-to-5 life. And when the lightbulb showed up, we pushed even further away from natural rhythms by staying up past dark with indoor lighting. People used to sleep around 11 hours a night. Now? We’re lucky if we get six or seven.

The book made me wonder: if we did have more hours in a day, would we really rest more? Or would we just cram even more into our already overloaded schedules? Minimalism teaches us to live with less—less stuff, less space—but does that apply to time too? Because somehow, no matter how much time we have, we seem to fill it. Today’s “hustle culture” makes this even harder. We’re praised for working long hours, but in the process, we miss out on the tiny moments that make life meaningful. When we don’t slow down, we burn ourselves out emotionally, mentally, spiritually—and yes, physically. Hurry can harm not just our relationships with others, but our relationship with ourselves and our health.

So how do we slow down? Honestly… we just rest. We take breaks. We recharge. It’s that simple. However, just because something is simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. We think pushing harder makes us more productive, but when you grind two stones together, all you are left with is dust. That’s what happens to us when we don’t pause, we are left with nothing. Burnout doesn’t show up overnight—it builds slowly while we’re “powering through.”

It’s tempting to override our body’s signals—like grogginess or lack of focus—with caffeine or sugar. But if we give our bodies the rest they’re asking for, we naturally feel more refreshed. Breaks help rebalance hormones and blood sugar, repair cells, support the immune system, and actually increase energy. Creativity comes back and our mood improves. Productivity gets better and everything feels lighter.

Nature shows us how things are supposed to work. Everything moves in cycles and waves—rivers, seasons, even our heartbeat. But we’re told to wake up and go full speed ahead from sunrise to bedtime. It’s that “go, go, go” mentality of today’s hustle culture. In reality, our bodies are wired with circadian rhythms and even smaller ultradian rhythms. Research shows we need about 20 minutes of rest for every 90 minutes of focused work. When we push through, mind and body fall out of sync. Some of the best ideas happen on a walk, during a meal, or even while resting.

Image Credit: URCaringDocs

And when we slow down, we finally come back to the present moment. So, step away from the desk, take a 15‑minute walk, feel the sun on your face, listen to the birds, smell the fragrant flowers or the crisp fall leaves. These tiny details pull us back into our lives. Every day really is a new beginning, a new chance. Every hour is an opportunity, but we forget that. We chase the next purchase or the next accomplishment, thinking it will make us happy. Marketing is brilliant at convincing us of that. And yet most of those things due to over consumption and consumerism end up tossed into a closet or donation pile.

Life wasn’t meant to be lived in a rush. Slowing down doesn’t make us lazy—it actually makes us more productive, more creative, more balanced. But somewhere along the way, we’ve lost the art of slowing down. Inf fact, hurry is making us sick. Even people who eat well and exercise—myself included—can burn out if they don’t intentionally slow down. So, I’ll say it again: health is more than diet and exercise. When we take a holistic approach to our health and prioritize resting, breathing, taking breaks—we support every part of our lives: work, home, and our own well‑being. Are you looking improve your health and slow down? Don’t wait until you’re it’s too late to change your habits. Together we can work on making small incremental changes personalized to you and stack those traits over time to create long-lasting and sustainable results by living a more less hurried and intentional life. Let's work together and help you shine from the inside out!

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