Where do you even start when trying to figure out how to slow down in life. It can be challenging, especially when everything around you seems to be moving so fast with no sign of letting up. Just the idea of slowing down can scare you because you don’t want to fall back or be left behind. Welcome to the rat race. The everlasting treadmill of life that feels too dangerous to jump off, and too powerful to stop.
This is the victim mindset that keeps us trapped, keeps us running, and keeps us in this constant chase of an end that doesn’t come. It can be exhausting. Don’t worry though, there is good news. It doesn’t have to be this way. As much as it may not feel like it, you can slow down, and even stop. You can step off the treadmill, catch your breath, get some water, and regroup. This post will show you how to slow down your busy life in 6 simple steps.
HOW TO SLOW DOWN IN LIFE IN 6 SIMPLE STEPS:
Step 1: Realize
It may sound like an odd first step, but it is essential. Although the chances are that if you’re here looking for ways to slow down in life then you’ve probably already completed this step. You already know how to slow down mentally.
Some people are sprinting through life at full speed, constantly on the go, with absolutely no awareness of the routine they are in. The very idea of slowing down never occurs to them because they are just living it. This can be confused with focus, determination, and commitment, but it can also be dangerous. We don’t see the problems, the stress, or the damages. Only once you realize that you may need to slow down, can you do anything about it.
Step 2: Make time.
When caught up in the mania of life, it can feel like you have no time. There’s always something that needs doing. Somewhere you’ve got to be. Someone who needs you. So how can you be expected to slow down at work, at home, or anywhere?
The truth is that as much as you may have responsibilities and things demanded of you, you are still your own boss when it comes to your actions and organization. Master your time. It can be 5 minutes, an hour, a day, a week, just make it. Set it aside. Block it out. This will give you some space to breathe and think. This in itself can make a huge difference. Now we have something to build on.
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Step 3: Me Time
Now that you’ve blocked out the time, you can start to think about you and only you. Use the time you’ve blocked to do something that brings you joy. You can use it to relax, work out, play, anything that will give you a sense of wellbeing. It doesn’t have to be as extravagant as a long weekend abroad (but if you have the option, then go for it!). It can simply be taking a walk, watching TV, a trip to the theater, there are plenty of things to choose from. This is how to slow down and enjoy life.
The important thing is that it is something YOU want to do. Not something someone else said you have to, not something you think you ‘should’ do because of expectations or whatever. Just something you actually want to do. Zero judgment. This is Me Time, and by that, I mean YOU Time.
Step 4: Reassess
You’ve taken a breather and made some quality time for yourself. This has got you out of that race (for now). Now to prevent us from getting pulled back in, we need to figure out how to slow down and simplify life? Just like Step 1, we need to realize. Realize what it is in our lives that pulls us into the race. What are the demands and challenges that make us feel like we have to live so fast?
Grab something to write on and make a note of how you spend your life. What are all the things you do? How many of these things are compulsory? What things can you change, adapt, or maybe get rid of? There are certain obligations that can slip into our lives undetected. They become part of our routine even though they don’t bring us any benefit. They are just a drain on our time and energy. These things need to be cut. The rest can be altered as you see fit. Cut some hours here, some delegation there. This way you won’t be spread so thin, and you have more room to breathe. This is how to slow down and relax.
Step 5: Relocate
Don’t worry, this step doesn’t involve packing up all your belongings and moving to the other side of the world – although that sounds great! It means changing your environment from the usual places you come and go. Certain places give us certain feelings. We automatically act a particular way and do specific things when we go to a different place. Which makes sense. When I go to a pool, I swim. If you go to the movies, you sit down for a couple of hours watching a big screen whilst snacking on popcorn and candy. We don’t really think about it or question it, but if you were to see someone sitting at the end of the pool snacking on popcorn and candy, you may wonder what’s going on.
Stepping out of the usual is how to make life slow down. There are places that naturally slow things down, like parks, woodlands, places out in nature. But also, just going places you haven’t been before can have a similar effect. As a tourist or newbie, we are taken out of the race and put in a position of wonder where we can pay attention and escape.
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Step 6: Ask For Help
You don’t have to go at this alone. Maybe you’re already under a lot of pressure and can’t imagine trying to do anything else. Maybe just taking the time out to read this post has been a struggle – but it will be worth it. This is about doing less if anything. So reach out to someone who cares. A friend, a family member, a coworker, anyone who may help. There are even helplines you can call just to vent while you reassess.
Now it’s not a case of going through each step one by one, in order. These are merely suggestions. You can do them or just pick one. They can all help. Or maybe one will inspire you to create your own step. You have your own reasons to slow down in life, and it’s up to you to make them happen. Start small and build from them. Just by being aware of what’s happening, you’re already beginning the process – and it is a process! It’s a practice you will return to again and again. Now take a moment, sit up, take a long deep breath, and let’s slow down for a bit.
This post was contributed by Fil B. from The LifeHand.
This post was all about how to slow down in life.
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