Urgency is the norm in legal practice. You are expected to overwork and probably have come to expect yourself to be constantly busy. These days, the more urgent the project the more important it seems to us as well as to others. Adrenaline is a source of energy - as it rushes through your blood stream you feel exhilarated. And every time you effectively solve a crisis you feel successful, competent and valued.
Urgency can provide a great temporary high.
But when you reach the point where you believe you're at your best when you work under this much pressure, or find that you're bored when you're not experiencing an adrenaline rush, then you've probably headed for trouble. When you're running on adrenaline all the time your body is in a constant state of distress. You're actually in a state of physiological hyperarousal. Your immune system is compromised. This kind of chronic stress puts you at risk for all kinds of stress-related problems including heart disease, hypertension, headaches as well as all the risks associated with an inefficiently functioning immune system.