Perfectly Imperfect

We’re running against a clock that never stops. We all have a limited number of hours during the way in which we can be productive. I am a huge proponent of productivity, and consider time to be “the most valuable asset.” So, when time seems to run out, it begs the question of whether the time was used to its maximum amount of usefulness. Did I use up my time in the most efficient and productive way possible?

The issue with being in this race, however, is that we seem to be losing more than we are winning. We load our calendars with tasks we have to do, become overloaded with the need to accomplish those tasks, and end up stressed because of this process. Once we complete all the things that we need to do, the race starts all over again, with more tasks, more work, more unexpected surprises, and more obstacles to overcome.

This process is what we celebrate as a society. We admire the hustle, and tell people to “get that bread.” So it is no wonder that a majority of people say they are doing well, despite carrying the huge weight named “stress” on their shoulders. It seems as if everyone is stressed nowadays. Every time I speak to someone, they seem like they have a lot going on in their life.

Johann Hari explains how living in a violent atmosphere and/or situation can cause stress in an individual. In Chapter 10 of his book, Stolen Focus, he gives an example of humans who develop hypervigilance because they are always on the lookout for their own safety. The result: an overly insane amount of stress.

Individuals experience stress because they are vigilant over something they consider to be valuable. If you’re concerned you can be attacked by a bear at any given time (which is an example Hari gives), you would protect your life at all costs, and rightfully so.

If you believe in something (whether it be in your career, social life, family, etc.) to be valuable, you will aim to protect and cherish it to the best of your ability. When our attention gets shifted to distractions (like social media) that harm our valued belief, it hurts us in the long run. Our cherished item is not secure, and so we become more stressed.

Here is a proposed solution to limiting stress in life: distance yourself from situations that disregard the security of what is truly important to you. But this is easier said than done, because more times than not, it cannot be fully executed.

Social media, in the long run, is not what is truly important. People are.

That’s a huge distinction, and a starting point for winning the “attention race” we run as a society.

NOTE: I am in no way suggesting that the stress experienced by the typical/average person is the same as that experienced by an individual in violent situations and areas.