A Short Guide To Slowing Down

Slowing down takes dedication. In our busy world, slowing down can feel like swimming upstream. The good news is, we can get better at it. We can create new habits just by committing to do the smallest amount, daily. If you are new to the slow philosophy, often starting to slow down can be thoroughly overwhelming.

These “tips” are not designed to be done in order. I recommend you do the breathing and the posture exercises first followed by the thought experiment. After then do the ones you fancy.

Don’t Slow Down Too Quickly

We are used to rushing at things and expecting an instant result. Don’t. Don’t try and slow down all at once. All you will do is overwhelm yourself, get flustered, not feel any better and give up. Doing something “slow” for five minutes each day will be much more beneficial than doing it for 30 minutes once a week.

Treat the problem.

Along with taking care of your body, spend time taking care of the other problems like overworking, overstressing and overdoing. Begin by creating a life that has a better balance of work and rest. To do this, learn how to say “No,” when you’ve reached your limit.

Enjoy the right now.

Look to the past to acknowledge the lessons learned and set reasonable goals for the future, and put equal time into savoring exactly what you have right now.

Feel the ground

Our physical senses guide us back into presence. “The body is a gateway to now.” Eckhart Toelle If we struggle with slowing down and feeling present it is often because we struggle with being/feeling embodied. Noticing the feel of the ground beneath our feet or the feel of the chair beneath our bum reminds our brain that we have a body. When we sense our bodies we naturally slow down. Living in our heads can create a feeling of being untethered. Thoughts move at light-speed, but bones move at a much more relaxing pace.  Feel the ground and connect back to your bones.

De-Clutter

Make space to be slow. How much of what do you do, do you really need to do? We collect baggage, old habits, thought process and behaviors that we no longer need, but never discard.  We find we do things that serve no purpose, but can’t seem to find a way to stop.

Practice.

Slowing down is an art, not a science. Just as you put effort into tackling the to-do list, but the same effort into telling your mind to slow down. Practice by doing deep breathing, meditation or prayer.

Make tea

For centuries, tea has been a useful ritual, inviting the tea-drinker to slow down. The time it takes to boil water and steep the tea leaves is an invitation to just be here.

Acknowledge the truth.

Often times we stay busy because there’s a certain familiarity with having a full plate. Our full plates give us a sense of meaning. But sometimes we keep our plates full because we are afraid of real connections; connections to others and to ourselves. It’s easier to say, “I’m just too busy to deal with that right now,” than finding the courage to be vulnerable and focus on what’s more important.