Does the pace of life
tend to overwhelm you at times? Does it leave you frustrated, tired, barely
able to cope? If so, you are not alone because many experience the same
feeling. Many years ago, people lived in a very simple way.
In simpler times, a
person could bury a seed and tend their crops. In less than a month, food is
produced and served on the table. Others would tend livestock and in less than
a year, sell them for a reasonable profit. People lived more in harmony with
the cycles of nature and had less worries. Daytime was for work, and nighttime
was for one’s family and rest.
Today, there are a
number of reasons why people feel increasingly tired and fatigued. I sometimes
ask myself, why do we need to live in a sophisticated, fast-paced world when we
could live a simple life without stress and frustration? Stress in life can
produce unhealthy results and has created new forms of symptoms that you need
to deal with in order to survive in the world today.
CHRONIC TIREDNESS
People sleep less and
one of the more significant developments that changed sleeping patterns was the
invention of the electric light. With one flick of a switch, we could extend
the length of the day. Night could now become day.
Indeed, factories
began to operate round the clock and service industries extended their hours
and people soon began staying up late which altered their typical routine.
A writer once said in
regards to artificial light: “The twenty-four-hour society was born.”
TECHNOLOGY
Other
technological advances, such as radio, TV, and personal computers, have also
played a role in depriving us of the needed minimum 8 hours of sleep everyday.
Not only do our days become longer, but life itself seems to move faster; once
again, facilitated by technology. The horse drawn carriage of less than a
century ago is a far cry from today’s fast cars, bullet trains, and jet
airplanes.
On the other hand, technology
has produced labor-saving results. However, many say that they feel more
exhausted and strained than ever before. The causes are many and complex. An
example is economic pressure. People spend at least 40+ hours a week at a job
and those ever increasing work hours were likely to have bad effects on family
and community. Add in time on commuting to crowded trains and buses or on
congested roads everyday and you have over 50 hours per week devoted to your
job which adds to increased tensions.
OVER FATIGUE
Another Factor
is over fatigue. Over Fatigue has become so common in the recent years because
of today’s sleep-deprived lifestyle. Many people remain chronically tired.
Researchers have comprehensive evidence that lack of sleep causes learning and
memory problems, weakened immune system and motor-skill impairment. These
problems can be both serious and costly.
According to one
estimate, tiredness and fatigue cost the world at least $377 billion each year.
But no amount of money can equal the cost in human life and health, which all
too often are also affected.
EFFECTS ON
RELATIONSHIPS
The stressed, sleep
deprived lifestyle also takes a toll on relationships. Consider the case of a
newly married couple. They wanted what most newlywed's desire; a comfortable
home and financial security, so both went to work full-time. But because of
irregular shifts, they had little time together. Their relationship soon began
to suffer. They ignored the stress, fatigue, chronic tiredness, mood changes,
depression and persisted with their demanding schedule until their marriage,
which had hardly begun, fell apart.
Studies show that the
divorce rate in shift working families is 60% higher than for day workers in
regular jobs. Yet, whether they work shifts or not, many couples try to cram so
much in their lives that, in effect, they squeeze the life out of their
marriage. For others, stress and fatigue may contribute to a cycle of drug and
alcohol abuse and poor eating habits. It may also lead to many other problems,
sometimes even child abuse.
To aid parents
in coping with demanding schedules, child-care centers are increasing in
number, with some even offering 24-hour service. Often times, parents forget
that children need generous amounts of quality time with them. In today’s fast
moving industrial civilization, the elderly are often affected as well. The
changes and the constant flood of new gadgets onto the market make many feel
confused, afraid, insecure or even obsolete; they sometimes even say that life
has changed a lot.
IMPROVING YOUR QUALITY
OF LIFE
The book “The 24-hour Society” says: “We need to
develop the wisdom to protect human needs and nature in the technological world
we have created.” Though we are in a world that is fast paced and sophisticated,
there are things that we can do to help us cope and improve the quality of our
life.
1. “Keep
our life simple and uncluttered.” For millions of people today, we spend an
inordinate amount of time obtaining and maintaining the endless number of material
things this world would have us believe we need in order to be happy. Quality
of life is not measured in terms of material wealth. In fact, riches often add
to life’s stresses and anxieties. So take a good look at each of your
possessions, and ask yourself, ‘Is this really needed, or is it clutter? Does
it add to the quality of my life, or does it steal valuable time?’ When we
simplify our life, we make more time for family, friends and for ourselves.
Such time is vital to our happiness.
2.
“Manage time and set priorities.”
Determine what the important things are, and assign sufficient time for these.
If important matters are rushed or handled superficially, serious problems
often follow. Hence, you may need to cull out anything that consumes time but
yields poor returns. In setting priorities, take into account your need for a
little solitude, time for constructive meditation and for recharging your own
batteries. People who are too busy to meditate can become lose site of the true
meaning of life. 
3.
“Be modest.” Modesty is important
because it helps you to avoid taking on unrealistic work loads and
responsibilities. If you are modest, you will know when to say no to overtime
work or other activities that would encroach on something more important.
Modest people are not envious of what others have and do; hence, they tend to
be more content. Genuine modesty, in turn, is a facet of spirituality, another
vital key to gaining more control over our lives.
4.
“Avoid anxiety and find true peace.”
Our body doesn't have flashing red lights and alarms to tell us when to stop or take a break. Nevertheless, it does give us warning signals. Whenever we feel the
symptoms of depression, chronic tiredness, mood changes and a tendency to
become easily infected by common viruses, it may be time to reexamine your
lifestyle.
