Millions of moms today are battling the so called 'super mom syndrome' which never lets them rest at peace. They always, and without fail, want to do everything and be the best. Each role to be played with perfection - a successful career planner, a devoted wife, an indulgent mother, a responsible daughter, graceful hostess, an awesome chef and many more hats to adorn her. Be it managing a trendy wardrobe or a sparkling clean home, well-tuned toddlers or lavishly planned holidays, parties or promotions - they will exhaust themselves to have it all.

For most women, being frantically busy is absolutely normal. Doing too much seems to have become a competitive sport. At times, I find it entirely reasonable to be doing two, three or may be even four things, at once. Just like I do when I am in the kitchen - all the four stoves of my cooking range will be switched on. Saves time, I say to myself. At other times, I know it is a form of madness.

For many of us, being busy works in two ways. First, keeping a handy to-do-list ready, creating schedules for work and maintaining time-slots to achieve targets - helps us to make practical decisions and manage time effectively. I realized recently that I do it more often to raise my self-esteem. If I can be super-efficient in managing my maid, my house and my children, if I write articles, call family, send gifts, text messages and cook elaborate meals - my head nods in agreement that I am a worthy person. Second, while I am busy planning everyday tasks, setting reminders and ticking off the list of accomplishments - I have no time to sit and ponder if I am happy, sad, good or bad. I don't have time to bother if I am useless, worn out, depressed or lonely.

Trying to live at an ever-faster pace is an infectious disease that the women of our generation are constantly dealing with. Balancing the demands of work coupled with responsibilities towards the family - and the urge to perfect them both, leaves us grappling in the dark for a moment of rest and self-introspection. To top it all, the glossy advertisements and inspiring stories of successful women endorse the 'woman-you-can-have-it-all' myth. What they don't/ won't tell you however, is "at what cost?"

Increasingly overloading our lives with the 'super-woman syndrome' makes our life miserable before we are able to realize it. The dangers of hurry-sickness that we all are inflicted with - is quite damaging.

1.Taking on more and more can produce adrenalin high. It affects us adversely. Finding free time for ourselves makes us feel guilty that we are not doing enough tasks to keep us busy. We start contemplating if we should add on something to our responsibility-list to become more worthy in our own eyes. Taking pride in being busy is partly driven by the peer pressure and the long list of work-to-do that our acquaintances share with us. It all leaves us feeling low, and less worthy.

2.Hurry sickness can also produce several side-effects like headaches, stomach upsets, mouth ulcers and disturbed sleep. Worse is that you don't relax even in your sleep, because your mind is troubled and the suppressed emotions vent out in the form of nightmares and odd dreams.

3.The hurry sickness leaves you unsatisfied at the end of your journey. When you look back at life, what brings a smile on your face is not the distance you have travelled. It is the marvels you came across, the people you encountered, the friends you made, the laughter you shared, the shoulders you leaned on, the family who stood by you. If you rush through all these experiences in your pursuit of happiness, chances are more that you'll regret later.
Isn't it time then, to slow down and examine why we need to rush headlong through life? Isn't it time to let the child in each of us wonder in amazement at the feel of dew drops, the joy of floating paper-boats and the chirping of birds. Having nearly destroyed our life with busy-ness, isn't it high time that we do what makes us feel good - take a stroll, rest a while, make friends and connect with life.

A productive life consists of finding bliss in taking small sips of life - not in rushing through it in a go. Take something out of your schedule each day and make time to sit back on the sofa and look out of the window. Pen down your thoughts, recite your favourite poem, share anecdotes with friends or narrate bed-time stories to your child. Most importantly, decide what makes you genuinely happy and feel worthy that you can take out time to follow your passion.

Learn the art of slowing down. Perfect your spirit of lolling. Watch the breaking of a beautiful dawn, listen to the trees dance at the music of breeze, sing with the children going to school, laugh with the changing weather, smile with the twinkling stars, dream with your eyes open.