Goodby Urgency Culture- Earl Flormata

We need to have a little chat about this thing called "urgency culture." You know the drill—constant pings, endless emails, and texts that seem to scream, “Respond or the world ends!” Spoiler alert: the world won't end because you didn’t reply to someone’s 2-second question at lightning speed. Let me hit you with a radical idea—your inbox can wait.

I get it—we’ve been conditioned to feel guilty if we don’t respond right away. We think if we’re not constantly on, we’re falling behind. But here’s the truth: speed at all costs burns you out. There’s a difference between being efficient and being controlled by notifications.

Every time you jump to answer an email or message immediately, you’re reinforcing the idea that your availability equals your value. That’s a dangerous precedent to set. Urgency culture is like a treadmill—you can run as fast as you want, but you’re not really getting anywhere if you’re exhausted.

You don’t have to live with that kind of anxiety. You’re allowed to pause, breathe, and reclaim your time. You’re a human, not a machine. Machines are designed to work 24/7—you're not. (And newsflash—those machines get maintenance breaks too!) Your heart, your nervous system, your adrenal glands—they all want to send you a thank-you card every time you resist the urge to jump at that notification.

Here’s my challenge to you: the next time you see that notification pop up, remind yourself—it’s not life or death. It’s just a message. Your response time doesn’t define your worth. Your peace of mind, though? That’s priceless.

If the world didn’t crumble because you didn’t reply at 10:03 AM, maybe it won’t crumble at 3:03 PM either. Let yourself be human. Your productivity—and sanity—will skyrocket when you’re not being ruled by the urgency culture.

Your mental health matters more than someone’s sense of urgency. Let that sink in.

Thanks for the read,

Earl Flormata

Tags: #Earl Flormata #Stress Relief #Corporate Culture