Somehow, October is already ending. It’s that time of year when I start to notice that rushed, hurried, feeling starting to creep in, and with the looming deadline of holidays comes a deep longing for the ability to slow down time.
Lately, I’ve been wondering if we can we truly slow down? Is that even possible in today’s fast paced world? And is it really possible without moving to a cottage in the middle of the forest or spending a ton of money on a Pilates membership like I’ve seen everyone else doing on Youtube.
The truth is that I have a weird relationship with slowing down.
One day my therapist asked me to close my eyes and place one hand on my heart and one hand on my belly. Then she asked me, “How does it feel when you slow down?” and after a few moments of squirming, I popped one eye open and replied “It actually feels more like a screeching halt for me.” 😳
For many of us, life can swing back and forth between two extremes: all gas no breaks, or burn out and crash.
For many of us, there has been no middle ground, no soft place to land, no spaciousness, no extra time to take deep breaths and process how we feel.
For many of us, there has only been going full speed ahead (either by choice, or handed to us as the default speed setting we were born on or grew up with)
When you’ve had to survive by going really fast, of course slowing down would feel like the opposite of survival. Of course slowing down feels like a near death experience. Shocking the nervous system into a state of discomfort whenever it’s at rest. A feeling that’s so uncomfortable, you’ll do anything to get back to what feels normal.
If you’re anything like me, normal = getting as much done as possible, as fast as possible, chasing after the idea that once you get it all done THEN you’ll finally slow down and rest.
But what if slowing down is actually what allows us to see that everything we have right now is everything we’re rushing to get? What if it’s only through embracing a slower experience we’re able to see how much we already have and quiet the noise that is constantly urging us to chase more and more?
I don’t know if that’s true (this is my first slow rodeo after all 🤠) But what I do know is that every time I slow down, I feel at ease. Every time I slow down I notice things I didn’t notice before. Beautiful things. Every time I slow down my body and my mental health thank me. Every time I slow down I think clearly and have a bright idea. Every time I slow down I get in a more creative, brilliant headspace. I’m more productive, more level headed, more myself.
I’m determined to find out if slowing down as a lifestyle is truly as peaceful, and attainable in the present moment as it’s claimed to be. I’m ready to find out if committing to going slower really opens up a softer more enjoyable lived experience. I’m committed to giving something other than a rushed and hurried life a real chance.
So my intention for the next month is to truly give it a try. I’m mindful that the rest of the year is full of holidays and appointments and events, but won’t that just make it all the more worth it? To be present for all of that instead of just floating above it as fast as I can?
I’ll be exploring different practices to see what works and what doesn’t. I’ve already started to experience a ton of relief with Transition Rituals: a practice that brings awareness to moments of transition by inserting a grounding activity before the next thing. It’s a remembering that while there is something else I must tend to, there is time and spaciousness here that I can use to tend to myself before I begin the next task.
So if you’re interested in seeing the behind the scenes of my trial and error process, I’ll be documenting how things are going in my Experiment Journal (a feature only available to paid members) here on my Substack. Join me in the journey of testing new ideas for balanced living. Each journal entry captures what works, what doesn’t, and how you can try it out, too!
Picking up my Kindle instead of my phone when the inevitable urge to endlessly scroll comes up (I just finished reading ‘The God of the Woods’ and it was soooo so good if you’re looking for a suspenseful mystery) 📖
I’ll be reading ‘In Praise of Slowness’ next because that’s what everyone on the internet recommended if you’re trying to slow down and looking for a place to start 🐢
Making a list every night of only good things that happened during the day: This is a practice I’ve been doing using a journal I got from the MCA Gift Shop on a recent trip to Chicago - It’s surprisingly hard to do some days when I’m feeling extra cranky and I’ve really enjoyed the challenge of trying to think of the good things that happened on days when I’m not feeling very positive (Spoiler Alert: I am always grateful by the end of the page) 💗
Swapping out my coffee for Chai Lattes (Hello Fall 🍂) and Lavender Vanilla Matcha Lattes because let’s face it, coffee probably never helped anyone slow down 😆 This matcha is my favorite and gives me a nice sustainable energy without the crash 🍵
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I hope you’ll find space this week to slow things down. I hope you’ll figure out a way to embrace a more comfortable posture of savoring each delicious moment of the life you’re already living. I hope that when slowing down feels threatening to your nervous system — you’ll notice those sensations and offer the part of you that’s a little nervous about what will happen when life goes slower a lot of grace and compassion.
Actually, life is beautiful and I still have time.
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