Has anyone asked you that question recently?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I was a nurse in long-term care, co-workers were frequently asking me why I was in such a hurry. Occasionally, a patient would ask that same question. Co-workers should understand; we all had more responsibilities than we could hope to satisfactorily complete during our shift, even at a fast pace. If we slowed down, some patient needs would not be met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having a patient ask that question was different. No matter how many other patients were waiting, it was always a reminder to at least try to appear not to be in a hurry. Each one deserved to have quality, individual time with her nurse. This was a balancing act that required detailed planning and execution. Even then, it seemed there was always something \u2013 a fall, a fever, or a late-evening new admission \u2013 that threw the entire schedule out of whack. Hardly ever was I able to clock out after just eight hours. Looking back, I would say hurrying was often a necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just for fun, I looked up \u201churry\u201d in a thesaurus. There were over thirty-four synonyms, including hasten, dash, rush, flash<\/em> and streak. <\/em>Less formal terms listed were whiz<\/em>, whoosh, scoot and zip<\/em>. Two of my favorites were boogie<\/em> and get a wiggle on<\/em>, both of which I found delightfully descriptive. Also noted were the British scutter<\/em> (formal) and stir one\u2019s stumps<\/em> (informal). Never heard that before. Of course, I also didn\u2019t realize scutter<\/em> is a formal word. When our first (and only) son began to crawl, Scutter<\/em> became his nickname.<\/em> Antonyms provided in the listing included dawdle, amble, linger <\/em>and move slowly<\/em>. Don\u2019t you just love the sound of those words?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some quick research on\u00a0hurrying<\/em>\u00a0revealed a few interesting facts. Although not actually a medical or mental health illness, this habit has been given a name \u2013\u00a0hurry sickness<\/em>. One effect is the body\u2019s increased output of cortisol, a stress hormone. A long-term effect could be depression. Constant\u00a0scooting<\/em>\u00a0can have detrimental effects on personal relationships. Family and friends may infer you are too busy to spend time with them. A caregiver who constantly whooshes<\/em> and zips<\/em> may cause her recipient to \u201ctry not to be a bother.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe we should reserve hurrying for times when there is really no other way to get things done. Since retiring, I dare say I have adopted a schedule that is rather laid-back, and I like it that way. Time clocks are a thing of the past. Following Randy\u2019s retirement in February, I have had to make some adjustments. (I read somewhere that a man\u2019s retirement means a new-full time job for his wife; I can understand why someone wrote that.) Although I keep busy with various activities, my schedule at this stage of life is usually not excessively regimented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Almost every morning, Randy asks, \u201cWhat are you going to do today?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n I usually have some ideas, so I recite the activities on my mental schedule, such as vacuum, clean bathrooms, and shop for groceries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then he asks, \u201cWhat time are you going shopping?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell\u2026when I finish the other chores,\u201d is my usual reply. He wants specifics. He\u2019s still on the clock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most caregivers are always on the clock. Some things have to be done in a timely manner. Other things can be postponed for a while. Busy <\/em>is a word that accurately describes most days. Hurrying<\/em> becomes a means of getting things done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But occasionally, dawdle <\/em>should be the word of the day. I am not recommending neglecting your loved one\u2019s needs; not at all. But if lately you have been feeling like a whirlwind, constantly going in circles, it is probably a good time to take a break and rethink your priorities. You may need to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the situation requires hurry, do be careful (accidents are another side effect of constant hurrying). When the situation can be dealt with in a less timely manner, move slowly<\/em>\u2026or even consider dawdling<\/em> a while. If someone asks you, \u201cWhat\u2019s the hurry?\u201d pause and ask yourself if it is really necessary to\u00a0boogie<\/em>\u00a0or if you can just take some time to linger<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Caring Quote: Christ never was in a hurry. There was no rushing forward, no anticipating, no fretting over what might be. Each day\u2019s duties were done as each day brought them, and the rest was life with God. – Mary Slessor, Scottish missionary to Nigeria<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Has anyone asked you that question recently? When I was a nurse in long-term care, co-workers were frequently asking me why I was in such a hurry. Occasionally, a patient would ask that same question. Co-workers should understand; we all had more responsibilities than we could hope to satisfactorily complete during our shift, even at a fast pace. If we slowed down, some patient needs would not be met. Having a patient ask that question was different. No matter how…<\/p>\n