Trying to get more done in less time?

I was talking with a friend who likes to drive in the fast lane. He thrives on trying to get more done in less time in order to be successful. He’s very productive… and stressed.

He doesn’t realize that he’s continually recruiting adrenaline to give him the boost of energy and confidence that he feels he needs to handle all of his responsibilities. His body’s production of adrenaline is like his own drug manufacturing plant! He has adrenaline dependence.

Other people get their adrenaline hits through extreme sports, risky behavior, or loud music.

Adrenaline is God’s gift to us. It’s meant to help us respond to emergencies and urgent needs. Used sparingly it’s a good thing. Used continually it wears down your body and diminishes your life. (Doctors have called this “hurry sickness.”) You get to the point where it’s hard to slow down and enjoy the little blessings in each day – birds singing, children playing, relaxing with a friend, prayer.

It’s difficult for people like my friend to get off of adrenaline. It feels so good! It helps them to get more done. And when they slow down (and aren’t stimulating themselves with adrenaline) they feel tired, empty, and depressed.

I myself have overcome adrenaline dependence. And I’ve helped pastors and other leaders get off the destructive habit of relying on the body’s “speed.”

Freedom comes with learning to set boundaries on work and “urgent” demands and slow down your pace of life. It can be helpful to practice slowing down your pace of life by driving in the slow lane on the road in order to enjoy music (that’s not too loud!) or to pray. Best of all is to learn the value of spending large blocks of time in silence and solitude in order to “be still” with Jesus. (Start with 30 minutes and build from there.)

Slowing down can’t be learned in a “self-help” program. You might have adrenaline withdrawals. You’ll probably feel bored, restless, or insignificant. You need to “process” your emotions with someone and to get coaching on learning new ways of coping with stress.

Learning to React to Stress with Trust in God

Few of us can reliably react to stress with trust in God. How do you react when you're well-being is threatened?

When someone gets angry at you are you prone to get angry back (or internalize your anger as depression)?

When you're hit with a big problem in your health or finances do you become scared (or shut down all emotion and get busy)?

When you're anxious, bored, or lonely do you overeat, use alcohol, or engage in another compulsive behavior?

How can you and I learn to become the kind of person who responds to distress by trusting and being secure in God's loving care and offering blessings to other people - even those who have mistreated us?

When a crisis or other problem intrudes whatever is inside us will come out, our inner character will be revealed. (This awareness is a gift because we see what we need to work on with Christ in our spiritual formation.) In the midst of distress is not a good time to learn something new!

Instead we need to be proactive. We need to follow Jesus' often repeated advice and learn to "watch and pray" in anticipation of a coming problem. We should know our biggest vulnerability and liability and go into training with Jesus to learn how to become a different person.

"Training" means studying to learn how to apply Jesus' gospel to our lives. It means doing spiritual exercises/disciplines. It may mean seeking counseling or spiritual mentoring/coaching.

Hurry Sickness

Hurry sickness is rampant today in our culture. We rush from thing to thing. We try to get more done in less time. We use adrenaline (and caffeine) to pump us up and makes us feel alive and powerful.

Hurry sickness is bad for our health. It diminishes soul. And it destroys our relationships with one another and with God.

For most of my life I've done this. But I've been learning to stay out of the fast lane, to walk slower, and to pause to breathe and to pray.

In the Gospels I see that Jesus was never in a hurry - except at the end of his life when he headed toward Jerusalem to embrace his cross! (We tend to do the opposite by hurring into pleasures and achievements and refusing to deny ourselves.) Jesus always had time to enjoy people and to care for them. He always had time to pray.

What a joy it is when we learn to enjoy the moment with God!

What's your experience?