It’s an irony of our modern lives that we invent technology that saves us time, and we use that time to do more and more things, and so our lives are more fast-paced and hectic than ever. Life moves at such a fast pace that it seems to pass us by before we can really enjoy it.
Do you ever feel that you have been going so fast managing all the activities in your life that you felt like you were spinning out of control? It can be exhausting, both physically and emotionally, and creates in you a sense of failure and helplessness.
When was the last time you felt like you weren’t in a hurry doing something? For many of us it’s been too long. We rush from one task to the next with barely time to focus on what we are doing, where we are, what is going on around us. And we rarely have time to process events or notice our feelings about them.
Try this: Take a few moments to really look at all the things in your schedule. What you are gaining by rushing from one activity to the next? What is the benefit to being constantly busy? What are the drawbacks?
Generally speaking, the act of rushing can trigger stress and anxiety. We eventually develop the habit of hurrying, and we become more reactionary. Being in a constant state of hurrying causes us to lose the connection to the things we are doing. In a sense, we can become so busy that we move into ‘survival mode.’
When you're in survival mode, you're just trying to get through the day. Survival mode means there's no long-term or medium-term plan. It's all about getting through the next 24 hours. The end of the week feels like a long way off. When you're stuck in survival mode, you feel like you'll never dig yourself out of the hole.
All this hurrying from one thing to the next also takes a toll on our bodies. Everyone is at least a little aware of the effects of stress on our bodies. The hectic pace creates physical and emotional stress that, in turn, causes low energy, headaches, upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation, and nausea, aches, pains, and tense muscles, chest pain and rapid heartbeat, insomnia, frequent colds and infections, and loss of sexual desire.
Unfortunately, these effects of stress can make us feel more helpless in our ability to maintain our hectic and fast-paced schedules, and our stress levels increase even more.
The Good News? It doesn’t have to be this way. There are some very easy and realistic steps you can take to slow your life down.
A slower-paced life means making time to enjoy your mornings, instead of rushing off to work in a frenzy. It means taking the time to enjoy whatever you’re doing, to appreciate the outdoors, to actually focus your attention on whoever you’re talking to or spending time with instead of always being connected to a Smartphone or laptop, and instead of thinking about work tasks and emails. It means single-tasking rather than switching between a multitude of tasks and focusing on none of them.
Slowing down is a conscious choice, and not always an easy one, but it leads to a greater appreciation for life and a greater level of happiness. It is important that you remember the choices you do have. More often than not, when we take a serious and objective look at our schedules, there are important, helpful changes we can make.
Do less
It’s hard to slow down when you are trying to do a million things. Instead, make the conscious choice to do less. Focus on what’s really important, what really needs to be done, and let go of the rest. Put space between tasks and appointments, so you can move through your days at a more leisurely pace. If you cram less in your day and allow for some “empty” spaces, then you will find that you no longer feel dizzy from constant running. You can slow down what you are doing and pay attention to what is happening in the moment.
Single-task
Imagine he opposite of multitasking. Focus on one thing at a time. When you feel the urge to switch to other tasks, pause, breathe, and pull yourself back
Be present
While just slowing down will greatly benefit you, you can practice being present by being mindful of whatever you’re doing at the moment. A good way to start is when you find yourself thinking about something you need to do, something that’s already happened, or something that might happen, gently bring yourself back to the present moment. Move your focus to what is going on right now. On your actions, on your environment, and on others around you.
Try this: Close your eyes and imagine you are watching leaves float down a stream. Imagine that each of your thoughts is one of these leaves as you just watch them float away without focusing any of them. Practicing this will make it easier for you to dismiss those intrusive thoughts.
Do something you enjoy
You can’t have a happy life if you don’t do things that you enjoy. Take the time to figure out what those things are and then do them often. If you don’t know where to start, just pay attention to yourself. What interests you? What do you think might interest you? What used to interest you? You don’t have to know what you will enjoy. You only need an idea of what you might enjoy. One you have an idea of what you might enjoy, then you can start “trying things on.” Think of it like trying on clothes in a store. Make time to try on each of these things to decide whether you think they are the right fit for you.
Do more “being” and less “doing”
Remember that in order to slow your life down from a dizzying blur to a positive experience, you need time to just be. You can do this in many ways, such as going for a walk, sitting quietly with a cup of tea, or meditating. What’s most important is that you allow yourself to appreciate the moment.
Breathe
When you find yourself speeding up and stressing out, pause and take a deep breath. Take a couple more. Really feel the air coming into your body, and feel the stress going out. By focusing on each breath, you allow yourself to come back to the present and refocus your attention on your experience.
Try this: I teach all of my clients this simple technique to immediately dissolves stress and anxiety. Push your stomach out. Notice that when you do that, you naturally take a breath in. Now, do it again and this time fill your lungs as deeply as you can, hold the full breath for just a second, and let it out slowly. Do this at least three times and notice how much better you feel. There is some science at work here that causes a natural state of calm, and well, if you have to breathe anyway why not do it better?
Remember there is no real hurry. There’s only the one we create for ourselves through poor and unrealistic planning. Just because society is always on the go, does not mean you have to be. If we’re not careful we’ll miss half the fun of getting there.∎
Karen Gray is a Registered Nurse, a Certified Hypnotist, and the owner of Green Mountain Hypnosis in Lebanon, New Hampshire. For more information on how you can use hypnosis to change your life, you can visit www.greenmountainhypnosis.com, or contact Karen at karengray@greenmountainhypnosis.com, or call (802) 566-0464.