Always late? Don't worry, there's a reason why.

I adopted a perfectionist mindset at a young age, believing it was the only path to success.

After all, it made sense that holding myself to the highest standards meant nothing could go wrong… but I couldn't have been more mistaken.

A series of hard life lessons taught me that perfectionism is, ironically, far from perfect. In fact, the relentless pursuit of it can be detrimental to mental health and well-being.

That said, despite my efforts to embrace a "new perfect", I've found that one habit still lingers: an excessive sense of time urgency.

Listen to The Quicky discuss the rise of hurry sickness. Post continues below. 

For example, I choose to arrive at catch-ups and events extremely early, preferring to wait around rather than risk being a minute late.

Then, late nights and early mornings are spent in bed stressing over my to-do list. And when one day comes to a close, the cycle repeats itself. Gahhh, stress!

If any of this sounds familiar, you may have a dose of something called… 'hurry sickness'.

While not a medical or mental health condition, this relentless urgency can still have a significant impact on your well-being.

To find out everything there is to know about 'hurry sickness', I reached out to Sydney-based clinical psychologist Dr Maria-Elena Lukeides who revealed everything – from what it is to why it occurs and ways to overcome it.

What is 'hurry sickness'?

The term was first coined in 1974 by cardiologists Meyer Friedman and R.H. Rosenman in their book 'Type A Behavior and Your Heart'.

They used it to describe the damaging effects of Type A (high-achieving and competitive) behaviour on cardiovascular health, concluding that it may lead to stress-related heart issues.

"In short, hurry sickness is that feeling where you're always rushing around, even when there's no reason to be in a hurry," Dr Lukeides explained.

"It's as if you have this constant need to multitask and get things done quickly, but unfortunately this can leave you feeling stressed and anxious."

Watch: Here are some life changes that may help deal with anxiety. Post continues below.

How to recognise 'hurry sickness'.

Sure, everyone has to hurry sometimes, but 'hurry sickness' goes beyond simply running late.

"Someone displaying hurry sickness typically feels stuck in a constant state of rush, often unnecessarily)," Dr Lukeides said.

"It's likely that they might feel anxious, impatient and overwhelmed by a false sense of being in a hurry."

In other words, they're not actually late — but their brain is yelling HURRY!

There are other key traits to look out for.

"Someone displaying hurry sickness will constantly multitask, interrupt people, feel impatient, get irritated by small delays, obsess over a to-do list and feel guilty when they're not being 'productive'," Dr Lukeides added.

"It's this feeling of doom or fear of missing out on doing something, so it's like you're always on the clock, and you can't actually enjoy doing one task or one activity at once because there's a perception you have to hurry."

Yep, too relatable.

Why do people develop 'hurry sickness'?

'Hurry sickness' is often linked to internal drives, particularly in those with Type A personalities — people who are naturally perfectionistic, overly ambitious or anxious.

However, external factors also play a huge role, too.

We're expected to succeed in our careers, meet deadlines, go to the gym, eat healthily, find time for friends, looking after family, tick off chores, enjoy hobbies, care for our mental health and slip in a few hours of sleep amongst it all. It's! Overwhelming!

"We can easily fall into a trap of feeling like 'so much to do, so little time' which causes us to rush," Dr Lukeides said.

"For many people, it stems from being overwhelmed with many appointments or needing to be at different places at different times."

This urgency is heightened when life's demands become more pressing — think: school drop-offs, work deadlines or even day-to-day errands like grocery shopping.

"These demands can create an automatic feeling of adrenaline and stress, which is fuelled by our hormone called cortisol."

This then makes us experience a sense of fear and anxiety, prompting us to hurry and keep moving forward.

"Over time, constant running to multiple deadlines during the day puts the release of adrenaline cortisol on automatic pilot, which means that even on the weekend when you don't have deadline pressure, your body continues to release these chemicals that make you feel like you still need to move from one activity to the next, creating a perspective that you might be late or run out of time."

And just like that, hello, 'hurry sickness'!

Can 'hurry sickness' be dangerous?

While 'hurry sickness' isn't a diagnosable condition, it shouldn't be ignored if it's negatively affecting your life and relationships.

Firstly, it can lead to the dreaded B-word we're all familiar with: burnout.

This can then flow into other areas of our life.

"That constant state of urgency can cause someone to be perpetually stressed, anxious and even experience physical health problems like high blood pressure and a weakened immune system," Dr Lukeides warned.

"Increasingly, the field of medicine is identifying that being in a high state of cortisol creates inflammation and multiple health concerns over the course of a lifetime."

She particularly mentioned gastrointestinal issues, heart concerns and a lowered immune response.

Tips to overcome 'hurry sickness'.

Dr Lukeides shared some valuable tips to help you gradually slow down in your daily routine.

While these changes may be easier said than done (and even thinking about them might feel stressful — trust me, I get it!), try to be patient, open-minded and trust the process. Remember, practice makes PROGRESS.

Stop and think.

"Try to become aware of how you are responding to time in your day. Ask yourself, 'Am I really in a hurry?'"

Rewrite your to-do list.

"Take some time to slow down and be more mindful of your priorities. A practical way you can do this is to spend some time each morning on your to-do list, prioritising it into tasks that are deemed urgent, or instead, moving those tasks over onto another day if they aren't really urgent," she explained.

"It can also be worthwhile having an overall to-do list for those non-urgent tasks, and a daily one for things that need to be actioned immediately (that way you minimise overwhelming yourself with to-do's)."

Try mindfulness techniques.

This includes deep breathing, meditation and what Dr Lukeides calls 'dropping the anchor'.

"Allow your eyes to gently close, take a few moments to soften your body," she explained. "Relax your belly by loosening and softening all the muscles in your core, then start to notice how your breath may start to fill the belly, stretching it upwards and outwards.

"Take in these soothing sensations. With your next out-breath, allow the mouth to gently open and soften the tongue on the bottom of the mouth. Your attention should now be firmly centred on the sensory experiences of being in the body and the experience of sensing around the body.

"To add one more sensory layer try laying a palm of the hand on your belly and the other palm on your chest. Enjoy the gentle weight of your hands and the warmth they create.

This activity can allow you to slow down and focus on the 'here and now' rather than what might be causing you to rush unnecessarily."

This simple practice helps bring focus to the here and now rather than the pressures that make you feel like you need to rush.

If you or someone you know is struggling with stress, anxiety or mental health concerns, seek support from a qualified psychologist, doctor or mental health professional. For immediate help in Australia, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. If in crisis, call 000.

Can you relate to any of the traits of hurry sickness? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.

Feature image: Supplied.