‘Tis the Season to Slow Down
The language of our lives can oftentimes resemble that of a racetrack — especially this time of year. How many times a day do you find yourself uttering something that sounds like: I’ve got to run to the grocery store. I’m just going to jump in the shower. I’m going to grab something to eat. Do you have time for a quick call? I’ve got to squeeze in a workout. I’m running late. Hurry up!
Overcommitted schedules and distracted lives driven by checklists can stress us out like nobody’s business. We rush through our days, from one task to the next, and feel like, no matter how good we are at multitasking, there’s just never enough time.
Or is there? Are we rushing because we are under a lot of stress? Or are we stressed because of all of our rushing?
When we think and feel about what is really, truly important in our lives, it can become easier to see our daily agenda a bit differently. And with perhaps more ease and space.
My “slowing down” is a work in progress. Meditation is a key element to that process. The time I take each morning to sit and breathe sets the pace for my day.
Once I started to notice what happened to me physically, emotionally and energetically when I “hurried” (all, by the way, in the category of “not beneficial”), I also noticed that hurrying really wasn’t getting me where I needed to be any more effectively.
I can’t say I excel at planning a calendar with the appropriate amount of white space (read “breathing space”) in between appointments, obligations, and events. But what I do know is that even when it looks like one solid block of a day, my intention is to move through it all more slowly — mindfully, with breath, and awareness.
What about you? Could you go about your life just as effectively at a slower pace? Maybe just for today?
Start by taking five minutes. Right now. Sit. Breathe. Make space. Feel groovy.
