The Art of Slowing Down
The art of slowing down: one of the greatest lost arts in American culture today.
Our society was created on the premise that any and everyone can build the life they want. Work your hardest, use your resources, and you can create a good life for you and your family. The American dream.
Don’t get me wrong – we all need to roll up our sleeves and work hard to even have a chance of accomplishing the goals we want. The life most of us desire to live will not just be handed to us. Instead, we pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and find a way to make it happen.
However – at what point is a “good life” not good enough? Living comfortably turns into living lavishly; building a business turns into building an empire; days of rest turn into days of work. Then we wake up one morning wondering what happened to the last 20 years and how in the world did the time go so fast?
While fast-paced, work-oriented living is alive and thriving in the U.S., this is not the case in other cultures around the world. Take a look at the ways other countries incorporate work-life balance and set aside time for rest and social connection in their daily lives:
Germany: “Ladenschlussgesetz” (Shop Closing Law) – shops close on Sundays and holidays (with the exception of essential businesses and special-event Sundays).
Sweden: “Fika” – a daily break for coffee and pastries, socializing, and slowing down the work day.
Japan: “Inemuri” (resting while present) – the idea that sleeping in public or at work is a sign of dedication and hard work.
Spain: “Siesta” – an afternoon break in the work day reserved for rest and/or family time
France, Netherlands, Italy, Australia, etc. – Family time and work-life balance are a priority. This is reflected by shorter hours, normalized vacation time, long lunch breaks, and more.
The main point? Rest and work-life balance are prioritized in many parts of the world. Boundaries are set, hours are predictable, and personal/family time is not only respected, but encouraged.
Now, I’m not saying that the U.S. should make it required by law to not work on Sundays, or that everyone needs to take a break from 1:00-4:00 PM every single day to rest and regroup. What I am saying, however, is that the pressures of our American culture have made many people feel like they can’t rest or slow down.
“We have to be open on Sundays to maximize sales.”
“I won’t be home for dinner, I need to finish up this project.”
“If I don’t work until 8:00 PM, I’ll be too far behind.”
All day. Every day. Work consumes us.
Hard work is good, but we were not put on this earth to work 24/7/365 until the day we die. There is so much more to life outside of the money we can make and the ladders we can climb.
So, how do we combat it? How do we learn to slow down, look at our surroundings, and simply be present? Here are 8 ideas that we can incorporate daily to help us master the art of slowing down.
Take on one task at a time.
Have you ever had so many things to get done in a day that your brain short-circuits and you end up getting nothing done? Or – have you ever woken up with 3 things on your to-do list, but as you go about your day, you remember random things that you should probably also get done that day (i.e. go to the gym, fold your laundry, etc.)? There’s a good chance that I go through at least one of those two scenarios just about every day. When tasks start to pile up, it’s hard to not feel overwhelmed. You feel like there’s not enough time in the day to get them done, and when you do get them done, it’s 10:00 PM, you had no time for yourself that day, and you’re exhausted.
My advice? Write down each task you need to get done on a piece of paper in the order you want to do them in. Then, pick a good place in the middle of your tasks to schedule a break. Decide how much time you think each task will take, as well as how long you want your break to be, and set a timer. When the timer is up, you move on to the next task – whether or not the first one is fully complete. By doing this, you are able to keep your brain fully focused on the task at hand. Each thing on your list has a designated time for your focus and energy, helping keep you less scatterbrained and more productive.
Slow down your mornings.
Okay, so this tip is going to sound slightly backwards, but hear me out. Wake. Up. Earlier. I know – this entire blog post is about the importance of rest and slowing down. But I want to encourage you to adjust your sleep schedule so you are able to give yourself more time in the morning. If this means going to bed earlier, it means going to bed earlier.
In my personal experience, waking up 30 minutes before I need to leave or start work always results in me rushing out of the door at the last minute, eating breakfast in the car, and barely making it to where I need to be in time. However, when I wake up 2-3 hours before I need to leave, I now have time to read my Bible, make a good breakfast, empty the dishwasher, make myself feel presentable for the day, and even just sit and relax on the couch. Waking up between 5:30 and 6:00 AM has actually helped me slow down my morning by giving me plenty of time to get ready for the day rather than scrambling to get out of the door on time. By the time my day really starts, I feel well-rested, my mind is clear, and I am ready to be productive.
Practice saying no.
Did any other people pleasers feel nauseous reading this? Just me? Seriously guys, I get it. Saying no can cause anxiety like nothing else. If you’re anything like me, you try to make everything work for everyone all the time – and often at your own expense. Guess what? It’s okay to say no sometimes. It really is okay! When we say yes to everything that we are asked of, we risk stretching ourselves too thin and overworking our brain.
NOW – and I really want you to hear this – saying no to a few things from time-to-time when you need a break does NOT mean to stop showing up for people. It is important to be there for our friends and family to support, celebrate, and connect with them, and sometimes that does mean temporarily sacrificing our comfort. It’s all about balance – don’t overdo it with the “yes’s,” but don’t overdo it with the “no’s” either.
Check-in with yourself.
Being in tune with our own emotions is essential to staying grounded in the busy seasons of life. How are you feeling today? What is causing you stress? What is bringing you joy? Journaling, prayer, walks, therapy, sitting in silence, talking to yourself – all of these things, and more, are great ways to see where you are at mentally and what you need to do for yourself that day.
Not only does checking in with yourself help you keep your emotions balanced, but it encourages with your own growth and appreciation of the good things happening in your life. Our brains are not meant to be overstimulated all day every day. Being alone with our thoughts can be scary, but it can also be eye-opening and life-giving.
Know when to stop.
Personally, this is one of the things I struggle with the most. I operate in a way where once I start something, I can’t stop until it’s complete. While this has helped me get things done, it has also made me late to family events, caused me to work later into the evening, and has given me brain fog that takes hours to come out of. Learn to be okay with something not being fully complete.
By working long/late hours, you are not giving your brain the adequate time it needs to reset. Unless what you’re doing is truly urgent and it’s absolutely essential that you get it done right now, know when to call it a day. I doubt any of us are performing brain surgery or running the country, so I promise that the world will keep spinning if you don’t finish your to-do list for the day. I promise.
Make time for small joys.
I. Cannot. Stress. This. Enough. Small joys make life fun, and guess what? IT’S OKAY TO HAVE FUN. It’s okay to have fun on a Monday at 9:00 AM. It’s okay to have fun on a Wednesday at 6:00 PM. It’s okay to have fun on a Thursday at 3:00 PM. Fun and joy are not reserved for holidays, vacation, or the weekends. They can be found any time, anywhere.
Every Monday, watch a movie and get your favorite take out. Learn how to make your favorite coffee at home and do it every morning. Take a walk and watch the sunset. Go to a happy hour with a friend on a Wednesday evening. Do a Bible study at a coffee shop before you go into the office. The opportunities are LITERALLY endless. Joy can and should exist during your week – don’t postpone it!
Rest.
Rest is good. Rest is needed. Whether you have a traditional work schedule or not, try to designate one or two days a week as “work-free” days. Turn off the computer, put the work phone down, and do something fun. I even challenge you, at least for one day each week, to not replace your work work with other work (i.e. grocery shopping, laundry, house projects, etc.).
Instead, take this time to do the things that you enjoy and that make you feel refreshed and well-rested. There is so much life to be lived outside of our careers – set aside time for it.
Breathe.
You can do this. Like I said earlier – most of us are not doing brain surgery. Most of us are not leading the country. Most of us are doing a job that, while important, is not going to drastically devastate the lives of thousands of people if we don’t do it perfectly every single time.
Yes, work your hardest. Yes, do your best at everything you do. Yes, be attentive to detail and take it seriously, But breathe – in most cases, it’s not life or death. We are called to be good stewards with our gifts and our work, not place our identity in them. Take a breath, look around you, and ground yourself. You’ve got this.
We are so much more than the work we do. Social connection, Bible studies, family dinners, coffee dates, Sunday morning church, watching a movie with your spouse, sunset walks, seeing the world, trying a new restaurant, spending time in prayer – these are the things that make life worth living. These are the blessings we miss when we’re rushing from one thing to the next. When you master the art of slowing down, you master the art of living – and who doesn’t want that?
