Time anxiety: is it too late?

November 24, 2024

Welcome to The Productivity Blueprint newsletter 🗞️

Our last newsletter discussed the topic of AI and how you could utilize it to optimize your time. If you missed last week, you can catch up here đź™‚

Today is all about time anxiety, what it is, and how to stop feeling anxious over the things we can’t control.

“Time is a gift that most of us take for granted. We get so caught up in the busyness of our daily lives that we rarely stop and take a serious look at how we are spending this gift.”

Time anxiety occurs when you’re worried that you’re wasting your time and you feel the need to spend every second of the day completing the most meaningful tasks possible. There are different kinds of time anxiety:

  • Current: You are overwhelmed due to the feeling of being rushed

  • Future: You consistently stress about what could happen in the future

  • Existential: Being anxious of losing time, aka thinking about death

Dr. Alex Lickerman, the author of The Undefeated Mind: On the Science of Constructing an Indestructible Self, says that time anxiety stems from some of the following questions: “Am I creating the greatest amount of value with my life that I can? Will I feel, when it comes my time to die, that I spent too much of my time frivolously?”

In order to combat time anxiety, we need to accept a few truths. First, time exists and we can’t change that. Time will move forward, and so will we. Accepting this simple yet daunting truth is the first step in reducing time anxiety. Next, you can start implementing some strategies.

Here are ways you can possible beat this form of anxiety:

  1. Define what “time well spent” means to you: Find what you actually like spending time on. Instead of focusing on how the reward at the end makes you feel, ask yourself whether you enjoy the process of getting there or not.

  2. Make space for these momentsL The article specifically states not to make time, but think about where you can work on the things you love. Examples include on your way to work, or at home, etc.

  3. Cut out time-consuming distractions: Erase activities that are both time-consuming and distracting.

TL/DR: Time anxiety arises from worries about wasting time and being overly focused on productivity, manifesting as feeling rushed, fearing future outcomes, or existential concerns about mortality. To alleviate it, identify activities you genuinely enjoy and find ways to incorporate them naturally into your routine, while minimizing time-wasting distractions.

‎Dare: Panic & Anxiety Relief

‎Don’t just manage anxiety—overcome it for good. DiscoDate is one of the highest-rated apps designed to help you conquer anxiety and panic attacks from day one. It has no AI generated content, since the app wants to focus on human connection.

The Passage of Time Can Feel Scary

ere’s how to work towards finding peace with time, instead of resisting its onward march, no matter what life stage you’re in. 

đź’ˇ Challenge of the week

This week, challenge yourself to identify one activity you genuinely enjoy and find a natural slot in your daily routine to engage in it.

That’s all for this newsletter! We hope you found valuable insights on time anxiety and how to overcome it by focusing on what truly matters.

Until next week,

The Productivity Blueprint Team

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