Maybe we all just need to take a minute, sit back, and relax…
At my previous job the company took cyber security seriously and would send us test phishing emails from time to time. I got 2 in the year+ I was there and failed the first test. The email came in, I glanced at it – something to do with a new copier/scanner or something like that, telling me I had a document that had been scanned to me – and promptly clicked on the attachment. Cue sad, defeated music. I knew immediately that I should not have clicked on the attachment, then about 10 seconds later, I got a pop-up telling me that it was a test and I had failed. I knew better than to click on that weird looking attachment or open that email from a sender I didn’t really know. I was just in too much of a hurry to take the 3 seconds to actually review the information and take the appropriate actions. If I had just slowed down a bit I would’ve passed the test.
And really, I think this is a good lesson for life in today’s go, go, go, fast-paced, 80 miles per hour, information at our fingertips, instant gratification world. We all just need to slow down, to be more present, to play the long game – even if the “long game” is only 3 minutes from now.
Plan ahead for less road rage…
I see the need for this so often when I am driving – and I myself and guilty of this as well at times. We are all in such a hurry, but why? What will happen if you’re 2 or even 5 minutes late to wherever you’re going? The world won’t end, most likely no one will die. So next time you’re confronted with someone cutting you off in traffic, take a deep breath, relax, and realize that it won’t matter in 5 minutes that they cut you off. Let go of the road rage. And likewise, the next time you’re in a rush and confronted with the option of cutting someone else off in traffic – don’t do it. Let them go ahead, you can slip in behind them and you’ll still get to where you’re going. And maybe think about leaving a couple minutes earlier next time. 😉
Slow down for more mindful munching.
I also see this in the way we eat. We are constantly trying to multi-task while eating (and working; and living). Watching TV, scrolling through our phones, eating at our desks at work while still trying to work. I myself am guilty of this as well, especially when I eat a meal alone. I mean, are my own thoughts so unbearable that I need to distract myself with some other form of information consumption? And we are in control of our thoughts so if they aren’t serving us we can work to change them, but that’s a whole other blog post for a different time.
I digress… The point is, eat more mindfully (more info coming soon on that!). And multi-task less. By eating more mindfully you’ll probably enjoy your food more and eat less – which would be a good thing for most of us, I assume. And really multi-tasking doesn’t work. We cannot do 2 things at once. If you’re scrolling through your phone, you’re not really tasting your food, not really cuing into your hunger or satiety. At your next meal, try turning off the TV, putting your phone in a different room and sitting with your thoughts about the meal, or actually having a meaningful conversation with your companions for that short time while you share some food.
Savor the special moments life gives us.
And what about holidays and other special events? Shouldn’t we all just slow down and savor that time with family and friends? I find that as I get older, time does seem to pass by more quickly. If we slow down, put our phones down, and make an effort to be truly present, these holidays, special events, and traditions will be even more meaningful. I recently saw a quote from Gretchen Rubin about not doing less or doing more, but doing what you VALUE. If you value time with family and friends then also make the effort to savor that time together.
Be the master of your emotions.
We can also apply this theory/method of slowing down to our emotions. Instead of always reacting to something slow down, take the time to recognize your emotion, acknowledge the feeling, and deal with it accordingly. Some emotions may not serve us in the moment and it might be beneficial to try to change how we respond to those emotions. Rage and anger rarely result in positive outcomes – either through our own destructive or self-sabotaging behaviors or in how we treat others. And what about emotional eating? Often, if we slowed down enough to recognize the feeling we are having – boredom, sadness, frustration, etc. – we could recognize it for what it is and utilize a different behavior to deal with that emotion. Journaling, talking it out with a friend/relative, going for a walk, meditation, exercise are all usually more helpful ways of dealing with these emotions rather than turning to food.
Another way to think about dealing with emotions in a slower, more thoughtful way, is to practice responding, rather than reacting. A response inherently requires a thoughtful approach to a situation, done after some time thinking and preparing; whereas a reaction generally comes immediately and without much thoughtfulness or rationality, and often, not always, but often enough comes with detrimental consequences that could’ve been avoided had we just slowed down to respond rather than react. This again, takes practice in mindfulness and being present in the current moment.
So, my challenge to you in this busy, busy modern world is to: BE LESS BUSY and DO MORE QUALITY THINGS IN LIFE and less quantity of things.
And remember: the only things you have control over in this crazy world are your effort and your attitude. The outcome and the outside world are out of your control so take a moment, breath, relax, and slow down ever so slightly to really enjoy the brief trip around the sun each of us has.
Want even more tips, tricks, and ideas for living well through nature, nourishment, movement and mindset? You know you do!
Live Well with Alison 
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