Tolfioow: Why do we all feel like we have less and less time?
DR. GEISSLER: That’s not just a feeling, it’s actually true. Because we are putting more and more tasks into the available time. The reason for this does not lie with the individual, it is rather a societal problem. Being constantly available via mobile phone for company and friends seems normal to us today. In addition, we have to deal with a flood of information every day: follow the news, keep an eye on our account balance, which constantly changes due to card debits, check offers for mobile phones, vacation trips, groceries. The annoying thing about it: We’ve hardly secured the cheapest offer when a better one comes onto the market. You can’t even win!
Inventions like mobile phones and the internet should actually make our lives easier.
The opposite is the case. While up to around 30 years ago the trend was to become faster and faster, for example to build faster airplanes, today it is about a compression of time. We make phone calls, check e-mails, drink coffee and also listen to music. Or we sit on the plane, work on the laptop and eat lunch in the form of the sausage roll that is handed out to us.
Speaking of flying: sometimes you miss the long, comfortable train rides. What a great feeling to roll over the French border and later see the sea!
Yes, paths are something very important. They are times of transition, of transit. We are closing with what we have left behind and preparing for what is to come. This is a nice ritual on holiday trips, because the changing landscape supports this process. But routes in everyday life are particularly important, because they help us slow down the pace of our busy lives.
So should I rather take the slow train instead of speeding down the Autobahn?
Feel free to take the ICE, but don’t forget to look out the window on the way. If you’re working from home, “artificial” ways can help slow down life. Take a short walk in the morning before you sit down at your desk.
That sounds a bit constructed.
It is. It is difficult as an individual to withdraw from our accelerated world. Anyone who needs to earn money can only succeed to a limited extent in this retreat. Or, to put it poetically: no man is an island. The worst thing you can do is blame yourself for your tension. According to the motto: “What am I doing wrong that I’m not relaxed?” It’s better to accept the hustle and bustle as a side effect of our modern society at times. And still pursue the goal of living as calmly as possible.
How can I achieve this goal?
By renunciation. Only use the Internet at certain times of the day. It has no beginning and no end – you have to decide for yourself when it ends. Turn off or mute your cell phone at least when you are relaxing. And don’t let the money fool you. It doesn’t know “enough”. Before your body forces “enough” on you, decide for yourself when it is enough. Perhaps it would be possible for you to work part-time or take on fewer assignments? Just think about it.
How much time do I need for myself?
Humans do not experience time as the hands of the clock indicate it. Five minutes can vary in length depending on what you are doing or experiencing. It is important to relax in the extra time, whatever relaxation you choose. Listening to the birds on the park bench is good. Whether you manage to relax is not decided in these ten minutes or two hours, but in the time before that: the more relaxed you are in everyday life, the easier it is for you to slide into restful relaxation.
