tidspres

Tidspres, literally “time pressure” in Danish and Norwegian, describes the subjective experience of having insufficient time to complete tasks or meet deadlines. It covers both the external constraint of clock time and the internal sense of urgency that arises from demanding schedules. In psychology and organizational studies, tidspres is treated as a form of work-related stress that can affect performance and well-being.

Causes include heavy workload, tight deadlines, interruptions, multitasking, and poor planning. It can occur in workplaces, schools, projects, and daily life when schedules are densely packed or unpredictably changed.

Effects vary by situation and individual. Short-term, moderate tidspres can increase alertness, but excessive or chronic time pressure often reduces working memory, increases errors, and elevates stress responses. Long-term exposure is linked to burnout and reduced job satisfaction.

Measurement and research use self-report scales to assess perceived time pressure; it is a component of time-demand or workload measures such as the NASA-TLX. Cultural and occupational factors shape its experience and management.

Mitigation strategies include setting realistic deadlines, prioritizing tasks, breaking work into smaller steps, adding buffers, limiting interruptions, delegating when possible, and applying time-management techniques like time blocking or the Pomodoro method. Organizational approaches include clearer expectations, workflow redesign, and automation of repetitive tasks.

See also: time management, deadline, stress, workload, productivity.