Time Anxiety

Time Anxiety: The Illusion of Urgency and a Better Way to Live, by bestselling author Chris Guillebeau, argues that the constant feeling of not having enough time rarely comes from an actual shortage of hours — it comes from unrealistic expectations and misaligned priorities.

Drawing on research into time perception, executive functioning, and the psychology of avoidance, Guillebeau identifies the cognitive distortions that make ordinary tasks feel urgent and high-stakes, and offers grounding techniques for calming the nervous system around time pressure. The book also examines the unwritten "time rules" many people follow without questioning, and makes a case for aiming at "good enough" rather than an impossible standard of productivity.

Guillebeau is also the author of The $100 Startup, Side Hustle, and The Happiness of Pursuit.