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Each day our world seems to be moving faster.

Many, many years ago, when television first came out, there were only a few channels available. Now, there are hundreds of channels from which to choose. Then we became inundated by computers, the Internet and high-speed-connections. Nearly everyone has a cell phone, including our adolescents and teens. Rarely will you see a young person that is not playing a game or text messaging someone.

We are filling our lives with time-saving devices that in actuality are depriving us of time, time which should be completely appreciated.

In fact, we are such a hurried society that people are finding themselves overbooked, overworked and stressed out. Our fast paced world is definitely not very user friendly to our health or to our family system.

I read about a study that was done several years ago about the effects of stress on our indigestion. I don’t remember the exact study and I failed to note in the comments I found, but it was a nationwide study. In that study, they stated six out of 10 adults suffered from bouts of indigestion so bad that it spoiled their enjoyment of everyday life. Some of the symptoms they listed were irritability, feeling miserable and excessive bloating.

Dr. Lewis who analyzed the findings of the survey commented, “Indigestion seems to be the price we pay for our fast-paced, high pressure lifestyles. We have fast food, tight deadlines and too little time for unwinding and taking exercise.”

We also know when we are feeling pressured and stressed that patience is the first thing to go. We often say or do things that are not conducive to the nurturing of relationships. Understanding and forgiveness are at a very low premium. Yelling, name-calling, cursing and mutual blaming can ruin any sense of peace in our home. Thus, creating more stress and pressure.

Quite often people comment they wish there were more hours in the day. They relate they are having a rough time facing all of their responsibilities and commitments. Unfortunately, the amount of time in each given day will not change. We have exactly 86,400 seconds in each day. Time is much different from money. We cannot bank our time or invest it for the golden years. In fact time cannot be purchased with money!

However, I am going to ask you to look at time somewhat like money and perhaps maybe even more precious than money. If I were to tell you that you had $86,400 to spend each day and if you didn’t spend it, you would lose it, I’m sure you would find a way to spend it. I doubt you would throw it away. I believe you would use it for a good cause.

Our time is like that. Once that second is gone, it’s lost forever. You cannot get it back. It’s lost forever. Thus, we need to be selective as to how we are going to use these precious seconds. Perhaps, we need to reflect on how we are investing those 86,400 seconds each and every day.

To help ourselves feel better, we live for ways to escape the madness of this fast paced technological acceleration. Many find vacation time on an Island a peaceful place to be. After all, being on a vacation on an island is very relaxing for there are no problems, no deadlines. People love the peacefulness of the water and the warmth and laziness of lying in the sun. They can enjoy all the leisure without guilt.

The irony is, for most of my readers, we are right here on our beautiful Marco Island. Perhaps we need to look at how we are spending our seconds and take charge and prioritize how we spend this ‘great luxury of 86,400 seconds each day’ that we perhaps have taken for granted. Perhaps we need to give ourselves more mini-vacations to help us evaluate where we are going and how we are doing.

Maybe, we need to get off that roller coaster of life we thought was happiness.

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Carolyn Katchmar is a member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, a certified addictions professional in Florida and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Address questions to Ethics & Civility, Marco Eagle, P.O. Box 579, Marco Island, FL 34146. Katchmar also can be reached at ckharper@comcast.net.