Urgency: what does it feel like in the body?
As workplaces continue to untangle their roots in white supremacy and prioritize employee well-being, a topic that comes up a lot is urgency.
Urgency is a by product of white supremacy and if workplaces are looking to align their values with equity, urgency is something that must be addressed. When we are constantly bombarded with urgency, it makes it difficult for us to decipher what is actually urgent v. what isn’t.
This can lead to triggered moments, conflict, stress, and when all these things compound…burnout. The behaviors and feelings that come with urgency are also most likely to harm folks of the global majority (disabled, Black, queer, trans folks, etc.), rather than folks with racial, ability, gender, and class privileged.
Urgency has weaseled and weaved itself into everything we do, forcing us to live under urgent conditions. Tasks, meetings, relationships, etc. that need to be tended to because they impact our livelihood and well-being. However, there are also so many things that aren’t urgent.
Being able to notice what urgency feels like in the body can allow you to SEA: Stop, Explore & Ask:
Stop what you’re doing.
Explore what sensations and feelings are coming up in your body, where they’re coming up, and what thoughts are associated with the sensations. Explore ways to calm your nervous system (what are some things you can do for yourself that would be soothing?)
Ask yourself if this is actually urgent, or if you can step away for now and come back to it another time? if it is not urgent, what do you want to be doing that is not being fueled by urgency? Or, you can make a more conscious choice to move forward with the urgency.
What is actually urgent in the workplace is unique to your workplace and work; to help identify urgent tasks, ask yourself:
If this does not get done right away will it impact:
a) someone’s safety (housing, mental health, food, etc.)?
b) someone getting paid on time now or in the future?
If the answer is yes to either of these questions, then this may be an urgent situation. If the answer is no to both of these questions, then it is likely not an urgent situation. As with all things, there is much nuance here that cannot be covered in one blog post!
In either situation, you can use the Radical Mental Health First Aide (RMHFA) ACTION Plan as support for moving forward.
Signs and cues of urgency in your body/mind are unique to you; however, here are a few sign and cues to look out for:
-racing thoughts
-if i don’t do this then *insert negative consequence here*
-inability to imagine any other outcomes
-struggling to slow down/pull away
-exhaustion
-fear
Check out these areas in body/mind to spot signs of urgency:
-chest
-gut
-shoulders
-jaw
-behind the eyes
-throat
-top of head
Here are some ways urgency may be expressed via sensation:
-heavy
-solid
-spiky
-tight
-fast
It is important for facilitators, managers, and event planners and organizers to know what urgency feels like, and how it impacts how we treat ourselves and others.
If you’re looking to deepen you or your team’s attunement to urgency and integrate strategies for de-centering urgency in your organization, I offer various programs and workshops that can be customized to fit your needs. :)