The Power Of Slowing Down

We live in such a fast-paced world. Companies advertise fast internet services; we prefer Netflix over cable because we can sit for hours and binge watch our shows without the interruptions of commercials. We are willing to pay amazon a membership fee to get our packages in 2 days or less. If you live in a city like New York, life is lived at a fast pace. Walking in Manhattan, you can identify the tourists because they are usually the ones who are moving at a slower pace. They take their time to admire the buildings and extravagantly decorated stores. They pause to take pictures to capture their moment in the big apple.

It can get frustrating to be slowed down by them because they move at a different pace than New Yorkers do as they try to get from one destination to the next in record time but don’t realize how much of the beauty around us that we fail to notice.

When the pace of our lives is fast, our minds tend to also move at a similar speed. So many of us cannot be in the moment because we are already thinking about what we have to do next. Maybe your mind goes to a project that is due for work or to what you will cook for dinner. If our minds are not in the future, they are stuck in the past. Some of us beat ourselves up for making a mistake. Others replay a scenario over and over again in their minds which causes so much anxiety. The mind seems to be constantly filled with thoughts that keep us away from the present.

What would life look like for you if you took the time to slow down and be fully present? 

I love superhero movies and shows, and one that I follow religiously is The Flash. Although Barry Allen can run at the speed of light, the producers often slow down the running scenes to help us notice the things that we would miss due to his fast pace. I wonder what we miss every day because we don’t take time to slow down. Maybe we would notice that knot-like feeling on our throats that is trying to tell us that we must release some emotions. Perhaps we would notice how tired our bodies feel and stop to rest, or we maybe would have time to celebrate the small wins.

Moving at a fast pace facilitates avoidance but slowing down encourages the processing of emotions and celebrating small wins. Slowing down helps us to notice ourselves. It puts us in touch with our inner world. It turns us into more mindful human beings because we cannot only see ourselves but also others.

This week I challenge you to slow yourself down a bit. When you wake up in the morning, don’t rush to get out of bed but try to notice the light coming through your bedroom windows. Try to feel the softness of your comforter. Enjoy the silence around you and allow yourself to feel grateful for stepping into a new day. The way you start your day can impact it,, so slow down in the morning so that you can pace yourself throughout the day.