Do you ever find yourself rushing around, working at such a feverish pace that you’re barely even paying attention to what you’re doing?
Do you ever feel like you get into these modes where you’re treating life like it’s one big emergency?
I know I sure do from time to time.
Last week was one of those times.
I got up earlier than usual to straighten up the house because my cleaning people were coming later that day. I was running through the house putting this here and that there, upstairs, downstairs, and there wasn’t a room of the house that was left untouched.
It was all going swimmingly, until it all came to a screeching halt when I realized that somewhere in the midst of my morning frenzy, I misplaced my phone.
I wouldn’t have been too worried except for the fact that two of my kids had left the house in the middle of it, and perhaps grabbed my phone by accident, so the morning wasn’t totally watertight.
I searched the house several times over, but my phone didn’t turn up.
By this point, some serious catastrophizing was well underway, as I thought of a million different scenarios that resulted in me having to replace it, and by this point was super stressed.
Now it was time to take the kids to school, and as I drove past my neighbor’s house, I noticed a sign that they had just put near their curb that said “SLOW DOWN!!”
A well-timed and totally fitting message, straight from the universe.
I believe we can all stand to benefit from intentionally slowing down. Here are some ideas to slooooooow it all down:
- Do one activity at a time. Contrary to popular belief, multitasking is actually ineffective. The brain can only focus on one thing at a time, and when we split our attention, we are less productive and we tire quicker. Eliminate distractions and commit to doing one activity without interruptions.
Challenge yourself to focus on one thing at a time. If you’re eating, just enjoy the meal you’re having, and resist the urge to scroll through social media. If you’re relaxing, don’t answer calls or texts; just focus on recharging.
- Remember that the joy is in the journey. We’re often so destination-focused that we miss out on all the fun along the way. Have you ever said “I’ll be happy when….”, and then you get there, and you’re not happy like you thought you’d be? We can be in such a rush to get to somewhere other than where we are, that we forget to have fun along the way,
- Incorporate mindfulness into your life. Be fully present in the moment and be fully aware of what you’re feeling in the moment – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Make your experiences multisensory by incorporating smells, sounds, visuals, tastes, and textures.
- Savor a cup of tea. I love going tea shopping and stocking up on my favorite teas. I always have a wide variety on hand, all of which serve different purposes: Stress relief, detox, bedtime, immune support, digestion, energizing.
- Ease into the day. Gone are the days of jumping out of bed at the sound of my alarm. Before I even get out of bed, I spend time meditating, praying, getting into the spirit of appreciation, manifesting, and getting my conversation with the universe started. When you start your day off connected to universal energy, we maintain a sense of peace and calm throughout the day, and are reminded that much of what we stress about doesn’t really matter in the end.
I hope you enjoy trying out these ideas. Let me know how it goes for you.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I ended up finding my phone. Under a pile of clothes waiting to be folded. Ugh. Does anybody know of a good life coach?
If you’d like to explore more ideas on how you can slow down and enjoy the journey, click here and grab a time to chat:
Have an amazing week!