How to slow down without giving up on your life
Nature is not particularly impressed by our to-do lists.
Learning how to slow down life does not mean giving up your goals or your ambition.
Flowers do not all bloom at once. Trees take years to become established. Seasons turn up in their own time.
Meanwhile, many of us are answering an email while making tea, planning tomorrow while finishing today and trying to relax efficiently.
Slowing down does not have to mean becoming less ambitious or doing nothing. For me, it means being more present for the thing I am actually doing.
A few ideas that help:
Create tiny pauses. One minute before you get out of the car or walk into the next job can be enough to notice where you are.
Walk without a target. Not every walk needs a watch, a pace or a step goal.
Do one thing at a time. Drink the tea. Have the conversation. Eat the meal.
Put yourself in the diary. If you protect everybody else’s appointments, try protecting a little of your own time too.
Notice progress. A useful day does not have to be a dramatic day.
I still have goals. I still like getting things done.
When rushing turns into mental noise, I also use some of the ideas in how to calm your mind; making room for joy in everyday life matters too.
I just do not want to rush through so much of life that I miss living it.
Fancy getting out of your own head for a bit?
Sometimes the easiest way to start is simply to have somewhere to go. Come and join Linnie for a walk.