When the concept of ‘time’ came up in a meeting at Stylist HQ recently, the reaction was uniform: anxiety, dread, horror – all that jazz. The idea that time is ticking, that we only have 24 hours each day, that we don’t have enough time, that we’re not using our time correctly… whenever we get a reminder of these things, our stomachs drop and a light sweat breaks out on our collective foreheads. 

This, it turns out, is not a feeling exclusive to those working at Stylist. Time comes for us all, and with it comes pressure. It doesn’t matter who you are, the fact of time passing is a reality for everyone. None of us can buy or earn more time. We can’t slow it down. Time is, in essence, the great equaliser, and something none of us can escape. And for many of us, it’s bloody stressful. 

New research by Stylist, powered by our new insight agency Think Stylist, found that 87% of women are feeling the pressure of time to achieve everything they want in life. This time pressure creeps into all areas, and it’s making us feel like time is working against us – we don’t have enough time to get everything done or we’re moving too slowly or the time to accomplish something is running away from us at high speed. Essentially, we feel like we’re in a battle against time, and we always seem to be losing. 

Our research found that 75% of 30-year-olds hoped to be financially comfortable by now, yet only 22% actually are. The majority (69%) thought they’d have a job they love by this age, but only 28% do. This mismatch of expectations versus reality comes up in the research across relationships, home ownership, work, travel, family – the lot. No wonder so many of us feel like we’re failing. 

We’re keen to reassure anyone feeling overwhelmed by time pressure that they’re not the only ones. That’s why we’re diving deep into our relationship with time through the Generation Tick Tock series. Across Stylist magazine, on Stylist.co.uk and on social media, we’ll be digging into time with first-person stories, advice on how to feel more in control of time and features exploring where the ticking clock dread is coming from. 

Ready to clock in? You can read the series here, subscribe to the magazine here and follow us on Instagram over here. 

Images: Getty; Stylist