Clockwatching Anxiety

Why do I check the time every five minutes? I’ll look at the clock.

Okay. Cool. Nothing has changed. Two minutes later, I check again.

Like maybe time decided to speed up without telling me. I’m not even in

a rush. I don’t have anywhere to be. I just need to know. “What time is it

now?” I check my phone. Lock it. Put it down. Immediately pick

it back up. One minute passed. I get annoyed. Why is time moving so slowly?

Then suddenly— It jumps forward thirty minutes. Now I’m stressed. I don’t know how

much time I have, but I know I don’t have enough. So I keep checking. Again.