A common trend which is becoming increasingly distinct over recent years is the desire to speed things up; from the advancement of modern day communication technology to the progression of transport systems. Yet, even though we’re essentially saving more time from the increased efficiency, we find ourselves even more preoccupied; this strikes me as an unexpected correlation. ‘I don’t have time’, ‘I’m swamped’ and ‘Time flies’ have become common phrases in our conversations.

Why is this so, I begin to wonder. It would obviously sound mathematically incorrect to save x amount of time by doing y, yet still have less net time left, than when previously conducting the same task.

Upon giving the subject thought, and exploring the concept analytically, I will pose some reasons that may explain this bizarre trend. One possible explanation is that our desire to speed things up preoccupies our mind with this constant noise shouting ‘You’re losing time. Do something’, and so our instant solution to this problem is to keep stressing on speeding it up, while in the process, compounded with stress and panic, the act takes longer than it would have without any added stress or panic.

Another reason could be that we try and pack more activity into our lives, which is essentially a positive thing, as we’re increasing our productivity! However, are we filling in time because the activity actually needs to be done, or are we filling in the ‘vacuum’ because free-time appears daunting to our overly preoccupied mind, which attains comfort when it’s obliterated with noise.

Although there is no specific reason as to why this trend is becoming increasingly prevalent, these two reasons are potential reasons for some individuals. It is worth reflecting on ones individual lifestyle, and how the desire to keep our mind preoccupied begins to govern us, and if it is true for any of us, perhaps we should give our mind a breather and let it find comfort in being and full consciousness.

Perhaps try conducting an act without worrying or stressing too much over the connotations, while at the same time being fully productive. It may substantially increase efficiency in a subliminal way – one thing’s for certain; it’s definitely worth a try.

This article does not aim to say that working hard, and living a preoccupied lifestyle is necessarily a bad thing, but merely states that there is a distinction between preoccupying the mind with constructive activity compared with noise. A lifestyle which incorporates the first, and limits the latter may actually prove to be a more efficient one…

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