When was the last time you felt like you weren’t in a hurry? For many of us, 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. When we live in a rush, we don’t allow ourselves time to process events or our feelings about them.
Generally speaking, the act of rushing can trigger stress and anxiety. All the hurrying from one thing to the next also takes a toll on our bodies. The hectic pace creates physical and emotional stress that can cause decreased energy, headaches, digestion issues, muscle tension, trouble sleeping, frequent colds and infections, and loss of sexual desire. These symptoms can make us feel more helpless in our ability to maintain our hectic and fast-paced schedules, and our stress levels increase even more.
It doesn’t have to be this way. There are some very easy and realistic steps you can take to slow down so that you can focus your attention more easily and enjoy the things you're doing more.
Do less
Take an honest look at your schedule this week and highlight the things that are absolutely necessary. You’ll find that there are things on your schedule that you can delegate to someone else, and other things that can wait. You may even find that there are things on there that you don’t really need to do at all!
Spread It Out
Put some space between tasks and appointments. It doesn’t need to be a lot - just a few minutes can have a huge impact. Your mind can only do so many things at a time. This little bit of space allows your mind to reorganize itself for the next task. This will make you more efficient and productive, with less time wasted while your brain struggles to keep up.
Be present
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, take a deep breath and think about the thing you are doing right now to gently bring yourself back to the present moment.
This simple hypnotic exercise can help you slow down your mind so that you can create your own sense of peace.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath and notice all the things you are thinking about. Take another easy deep breath and narrow your focus to all the things in the room. Then narrow your focus again to all the things immediately around you, those things that are closer to you. Keep breathing slow and easy, and narrow your focus again to the things that are touching you, like the weight of your clothes and the temperature of the air on your skin. Keep going, and bring your focus to your breath, noticing the entire breath from the inhale all the way through to the exhale.
Slowing down allows you to be more productive, calmer, healthier, and keep your mind quieter. Try these simple tools for yourself, and create your own Peace! 🍥