Do you find yourself constantly worrying about being late? Think haven't got enough time to do something before a scheduled event or appointment and so do nothing whilst waiting? Everything must be done now, or feels like it should already have been done? Rush, rush rush. Just aren't enough hours in the day...

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Perhaps it's stress. Perhaps it's anxiety.

Time is something that has come up quite frequently recently, not only for me but a previous client and others I have spoken to. It got me wondering about how many people may experience some form of anxiety or issue around time. It turns out that yes, time anxiety is a real thing and it has a name, chronophobia (fear of time).

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I remember feeling completely overwhelmed when I had lots of things to get done, either at work or at home. At work more so because it felt more important to me and there were likely to be consequences if it didn't get done. Then I'd think I didn't have enough time to do them all, then procrastinate doing them because of overthinking. In reality, I know that tackling each one separately and not overthinking them would get the list completed. But the brain isn't always able to see reason, and logic. Especially if it feels threatened.

What the brain hears in that moment is "do this, this, this and that.... oh and don't forget xyz" and in some circumstances, this can activate the fight/flight/freeze/fawn response where the body and brain then work together to protect you, as if a bear was coming to eat you. Stress and anxiety are very similar in that way. Stress is the in the moment response to a situation happening in the present, anxiety is a concern around something that is in the future and may or may not happen. Uncertainty is anxiety's friend.

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Have you started reading this and thought, I know what she's talking about, or sat there nodding at the screen?

There are people who are more at risk of time anxiety;

Terminally ill or elderly

Prisoners

Have a history of mental health illness

Have experienced a traumatic event

If this is still resonating with you, there are options to help

Mindfulness or CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

Other talking therapies

Meditation and other relaxation techniques

Some medications that help with low mood or general anxiety can help with time anxiety but there isn't a medication specifically for time anxiety specifically.

What else can help my time anxiety?

I have written a number of blogs to help with stress which focus on taking back control of your life, relaxing and also understanding procrastination.

Take a look and see if any of these may be helpful for you

Blog thelighthousecounselling.co.uk

Thank you for reading this far (assuming you have).

P.S. I may touch more on this in a future blog as there's lots more that can be said about it. Drop me an email at emily@thelighthousecounselling.co.uk if you'd find this useful.