October 13th 2023.
Tick tock. Life can be unpredictable and, as a chronically late person, I know this all too well. It seems no matter how hard I try, I can never seem to arrive on time. I'm sure many of you can relate.
Well, it turns out there might be an explanation for my chronic lateness - I'm a time optimist. This phrase is translated from the Swedish word 'tidsoptimist', which means 'a person who’s habitually late because they think they have more time than they do'.
Swedish clinical psychologist Michaela Thomas recently said that a tidsoptimist is someone who underestimates how long something takes and overestimates how much time they have available. Essentially, I think everything is going to run smoothly and so I'm never quite prepared for when life throws a curveball.
Nick Hatter, a behavioural expert and coach, has labelled this 'an epidemic of lateness'. He explains that this is due to the demands of work, childcare, social life, hobbies, studying, and extra-curricular activities - all of which require time and planning.
It's no wonder that over a third of office workers are late for work.
When we're running late, it can cause us to become panicked and stressed, unable to think clearly. We may even take unnecessary risks, such as speeding or running across busy roads, in order to make up for the lost time.
So, how can we break this habit? Firstly, it's important to become a time pessimist. Give yourself plenty of breathing space between activities and give yourself a buffer to account for mishaps, such as traffic or public transport delays. Secondly, we need to accept 'good enough' and lower our performance standards. Finally, learn to say 'no' more often - this will help you set boundaries and maintain punctuality.
Nick also suggests doing some 7-11 breathing to help calm yourself down when you're feeling stressed. This involves breathing in for 7 seconds and out for 11 seconds, which will help activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Additionally, you can scale your anxiety from 0 to 10 in your head to help you step back into your 'observing self' and to get some detachment from your emotion.
If you're a chronic late person, these tips are definitely worth giving a go!
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