Embracing SLOW
2020…
Need I say more?
As we all prepare to wind down for a well-deserved Christmas break, this year in particular is one that many of us are glad to see the end of!
Despite the mayhem and madness, one thing that 2020 has taught us is the value of slowing down every now and then.
“In this media-drenched, data-rich, channel-surfing, computer-gaming age, we have lost the art of doing nothing, of shutting out the background noise and distractions, of slowing down and simply being alone with our thoughts.”
- Carl Honoré
Covid lock-down saw fewer cars on the roads, more people outside walking, and stopping for (socially distanced) chats to check in with the neighbours. Families playing board games together, people getting creative in the kitchen, exploring new interests, reading books, baking bread from scratch.
A forced break showed us just how quickly we tend to go about our everyday lives normally, living in the fast lane: The world wide web has brought endless amounts of information to our fingertips, allowing us to gain answers to any question within seconds. Fast food joints serve us a meal in a matter of minutes. Work emails come straight to our phones, reminding us of our work to-do list at all hours of the day. We can order things online and have them delivered to our door within days. Everything is so easily accessible, that the expectation is of speed and efficiency.
“Time Sickness” - “The obsessive belief that time is getting away, that there isn’t enough of it, and that you must pedal faster and faster to keep up” - Larry Dossey
If we are not conscious of the speed that life wants to take us, it can feel like we are constantly chasing our tails to fit our busy lives into the 24 hours we have each day. We fuel ourselves with coffee just to keep up! How often have you thought to yourself, there’s just not enough time in the day? Who can relate to the feeling of barely being able to keep their head above water?
And the ironic thing is that the faster you pedal and the more you try to pack into your day, the more you reinforce the belief that there’s not enough time. Bring on the burnout…
But sometimes, we really do just need to stop and get off the merry-go round.
Ask yourself, are you really enjoying the ride?
“The great benefit of slowing down is reclaiming the time and tranquillity to make meaningful connections--with people, with culture, with work, with nature, with our own bodies and minds” - Carl Honoré
So, these happy holidays, why not take the opportunity to remove all the unnecessary mental clutter and simply embrace SLOW?
Tips to Slow Down
Turn off the email and social media notifications from your phone, or leave your phone in another room altogether. Tech-free time makes for a quieter mind.
Eat meals distraction-free. Turn off the T.V. / Netflix, stop the mindless Instagram scroll, put down the newspaper for a moment. How much better does the food taste when you actually notice and savour each mouthful?
Enjoy the journey as well as the destination. Give yourself the time to get where you need to go without needing to rush. Put on some good music and have a car party! If you are travelling out of town for a holiday, are there any stops worth exploring along the route?
Sit somewhere by yourself in nature, take some time to watch and listen to the world go by. What do you notice when you are actually looking up and around, rather than down at your phone? What do you hear?
Get out the notebook and pen, the paint set, the knitting needles, the guitar… What creative endeavours have you put to the side because there’s never enough time? MAKE time. I dare you. A slower mind creates space for creativity.
Most of all, take a moment to pause this Christmas and really soak into the time spent with loved ones. Reconnect with those friends that you lost contact with because you just haven’t had the time to keep in touch. Give people your undivided attention and prioritise reaching a deeper level of understanding and connection with them. Live life in the slow lane and see how your relationships blossom.
Happy Holidays!
Author: Yolanda van Vugt, Exercise Physiologist References:Book - In Praise of Slowness” by Carl Honoré
