Slowing down, if only for a second

Life can be fast-paced, and if you’re not prepared for it, you can run into yourself and become entirely overwhelmed by everything you need to do. Whether it’s bills to pay, appointments to make and projects to complete, it always feels like there’s something, somewhere to do. Even worse, and every time you finish one thing, another one threatens to pile up and throw you off-track. Knowing that you can slow down is vital to remember so that you can take some time to level yourself out and realign your focus onto what’s really important. Even if you’re the busiest bee that ever lived, you can still take a few minutes to prioritize and take stock of what you need to do.

There are so many different parts of life that all have different slowing-down-solutions that there’s no catch-all way to slow down. So instead of following just one piece of advice, you can find a little nugget of wisdom for all aspects of your busy life.

In Business

The business world is one of the most fast-paced environments around, and you might love how there’s never a second to slow down in your professional life. With the current always-on culture of business, where we are connected all the time, even after leaving for the day, it can be a challenge to take your mind away from upcoming projects.

You can start making a clear distinction between your home and work life by disconnecting your work email from your phone once you get home. This allows you to remove yourself from the work-life and helps you enjoy a few hours at home without fearing those dreaded 9 PM phone calls from your boss. They’re even worse when you’re just tucking yourself into bed.

Radio silence isn’t always going to work, and there are often cases where you need to be contactable at all times regardless of where you are. However, if you’re able to do it (and make sure your boss is okay with it and respects your right to switch off), then you will find yourself with more time, less stress, and a better attitude towards your job when you come in the next morning.

In Life

What do you define as life? Well, everything outside of clocking in and out of the office, everything that involves the time spent away from the bustle of your daily hustle. But just because you’re not taking emails, meeting with clients, or going over new strategies doesn’t mean there’s not still plenty to do.

When you get home, you’ve got dinner to cook, cleaning to do, kids to raise, and then find some time to binge the latest show that everyone is raving about. You all know how quickly evenings disappear, so finding ways to compartmentalize your tasks and organize your life when you get home can transform your evenings from something stressful into something you look forward to.

Assigning certain chores and errands, such as cleaning, heading to the gym, or grocery shopping will give you the extra time you need in an evening to slow yourself down. Instead of trying to get everything done all at once, you can build a routine that you’ll soon come to love. Once you create these habits, you’ll discover that you have more time to slow down than you initially thought.

In Travel

The thought of slowing down might sound like a slight oxymoron to well-versed travelers. There’s so much to see and such little time to see it all, that slowing down is absolutely not what you want to do. Responsible travelers understand travel burnout is a genuine thing, and too much, too soon means you risk ruining your trip.

This exhaustion can change things that whimsical feeling of wonder when you arrive in every new place on your itinerary into something where all you want is your own bed. That’s right, not even the hostel bed, but your own and the thought of spending another minute anywhere but the comforts of your home can fill you with dread.

There are ways around this, though, and understanding you don’t have to say Yes to every request will give you the time to unwind, and recharge. Even if you don’t want to think about sightseeing or embarking on yet another bar crawl ever again, it might take just one day of laying in a hammock before that exploring itch comes right back.

In Health

Our physical health is something that few people think about when living a fast-paced lifestyle regardless of what that might entail, so making sure you monitor your wellbeing is essential. Issues such as injuries and illnesses can quickly compound and build up if not kept in check. Understanding this helps you remember that you must manage your health as much as you manage your personal and professional life.

Not wanting to stop or slow down can lead to disastrous health issues, and it will often only make the problem worse. This is especially true if you rely on other factors other than rest to keep you going. Potential issues include turning to substance abuse to cope with injuries or other inherent struggles in your life. If not done correctly, this can quickly get out of hand.

You don’t need to allow this to spiral out of control, though. If you recognize you (or someone you know) needs help, then considering health services such as the Green Mountain Treatment Center can help with overcoming addictions to help you get back to your best in a more natural way.

In Yourself

With everything going on around you, it’s easy to forget about what goes on in your head. This can often be one of the most significant factors that contributes to feeling drained, stressed, or a combination of both. Our minds are always going, with new thoughts producing further thoughts. Then these thoughts can quickly spiral into memories or worries about things we don’t want to think about but struggle to escape anyway.

We all know you can’t switch these thoughts off, but what you can look into alternative ways of silencing these negative thoughts, at least temporarily. One of the easiest ways you can do this is by taking some time to yourself and letting the mind recharge.

Recently, there has been a lot of emphasis on self-care and mindfulness, and you can do this by researching meditation techniques. Even if you’ve never done meditation before, it’s easy to get started. There are a plethora of both free and subscription-based apps that help you focus on improving your mental wellbeing. You don’t even need to sit in silence, thinking for hours on end, and just 5 minutes a day can help you recharge for the coming days and weeks ahead.

Slow, Steady, and Stable

For those of you who are all about the Go, Go, Go lifestyle, the thought of taking a break, even if it’s just for a day, can feel like the end of the world as you know it. But taking this time and slowing down is never as bad as you first expect it to be.

It makes sense you don’t want to lose the momentum you’ve built up as you’ve worked, lived, and traveled, but putting the brakes on just a little will give you a much-needed refresh. It can often be a challenge to admit you need to take a break, but admitting it to yourself is the first step towards coming back stronger than ever.

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