John Di Bartolo’s House of Step

My way of describing New Yorkers is that we’re always in a rush, even if we have nothing to do. This is probably most apparent in an area like Times Square, where the meandering tourists are hated for disturbing the otherwise smooth ebb and flow of the city. (A walk from the subway to the Crowne Plaza NYSC is enough double my blood pressure.)

Rushing is probably the single worst lifestyle habit I have. I have to be productive every minute of the day, or else the Catholic guilt kicks in. Carl Honoré, author of “In Praise of Slow,” came to this realization a while ago.

We live in a world that is obsessed with speed that is stuck in fast forward. We often lose sight of the damage that this road-runner form of life does to us — on our health, our diet, our work.

So what’s a chronic rusher like me to do? Some advice offered by Honoré and others:

• Turn off your cell phone
• Don’t answer emails right away
• Go for walks
• Make more tea
• Understand that slowing down doesn’t mean slacking off

Definitely good ideas to think about. For now, though, I’ve got to run….