Archive · 10 Oct 2026
Why Some People Feel Less Urgency Under Pressure
People do not all react to deadlines in the same way.
For some, a deadline feels like a danger signal, so they hurry and may make quick decisions.
Other people stay calmer and can take more time to think things through.
Anxiety, personality, past experiences, and differences in how people sense time can all play a part.
Some people with ADHD may not feel a deadline is close until the last moment.
Staying calm can help with careful choices, but never feeling pressure can make it harder to finish tasks on time.
Feeling rushed all the time can also contribute to stress and exhaustion.
Experts say the goal is to feel urgency when it is useful, not constantly.
Psychologists say urgency depends on how people perceive threat, reward, control, and time pressure.
A stronger brain response to perceived threats can lead to faster action and more intense feelings of urgency.
Anxiety, impulsivity, personality, upbringing, and ADHD-related time awareness can affect how deadlines feel.
Lower urgency can support calmer thinking and better emotional regulation, while chronic urgency is linked to anxiety, burnout, sleep problems, and emotional exhaustion.
Experts caution that too little urgency may hinder follow-through, accountability, or action when a situation requires speed.
- Who
- People who experience little or much urgency, as discussed by clinical psychologist Chetna Luthra and Dr. Praveen Gupta.
- What
- Psychologists explain how brain responses, personality, emotional regulation, and time perception shape feelings of urgency.
- When
- In situations involving deadlines or other time pressure.
- Where
- The experts quoted are based in Gurugram, India.
- Why
- People differ in how their brains interpret time pressure, threat, reward, and control.
- Key factor
- How the brain responds to perceived threat and time pressure
- Possible influences
- Anxiety, impulsivity, personality, upbringing, planning abilities, and time awareness
- ADHD and time
- Some people with ADHD may experience difficulty with time awareness, sometimes described as “time blindness.”
- Potential effects of chronic urgency
- Anxiety, burnout, sleep problems, and emotional exhaustion
- Potential benefit of lower urgency
- More time to consider options, evaluate risks, and plan before acting
- Potential drawback of very low urgency
- Difficulty with follow-through, accountability, or timely action
- Experts quoted
- Chetna Luthra and Dr. Praveen Gupta