5 techniques to help WIND DOWN

Dr Libby Weaver discusses Rushing Woman's Syndrome and how to beat it

Are you constantly one step ahead or behind yourself at any given moment, always feeling a bit frantic, with thoughts that race and jump from task to task? Perhaps you're driven by a worry that you will be judged if you don't get enough done today - or by an internal judge who is never satisfied. Maybe you unconsciously fear you will be disapproved of perceived as not competent, capable or hard working enough; not a good enough parent, employee, partner, friend, daughter.

If any or all of this is familiar to you, it's possible you have what I fondly refer to as Rushing Woman's Syndrome. This isn't a real medical diagnosis, of course. It's a term I phrased just over 10 years ago as I was first witnessing a momentous change in the pace of everyday living and the significant health challenges that were arising as a consequence.

A decade on and the rush seems to be the norm now. You rush because you care and yet you also care what others think of you. You rush because you believe that any time not spent accomplishing a task is time wasted, and you do this because you perceive that your worth is tied up with your achievements and that others will think well of you if you do x, y and z.