Why Slowing Down Helps You Get More Done and Thrive

Busy seems to be something by which we pride ourselves on. 

The busier we are, the more productive we feel.  Busyness is a cultural badge of courage.

A famous Buddhist once said, if you don’t have an hour to meditate, then you need to meditate for 2 hours. 

I was watching my dog this morning, looking out the kitchen patio door at a rabbit eating birdseed in the backyard.  I opened the door for my dog to leap out but she didn’t.  I watched her slow down to almost a complete stop for quite some time (despite the temptation) before darting after the rabbit. 

With distractions around every corner, it’s possible to never have the opportunity to slow down. Sitting and not moving our bodies while we’re on Facebook or Pinterest or Netflix is not the same as "being still”. 

Have you ever been so sick with a cold or with the flu that not only are you not moving physically but your brain won’t even let you watch tv, or read or keep your eyes open? 

I believe that the body (and mind) forces us into such quietude when we’ve gone too long ignoring all the signs that we were meant to slow down in the first place. 

Sometimes, in order to thrive, we must slow down.

Most of us manage to slow down when we’re on vacation…once or twice a year right?  We slow down, read a book, take naps, slow walks on the beach and we come back refreshed, inspired and ready to roll.

What if we created the opportunity for this on a daily basis?  What if slowing down and quieting our minds was done with intention, every day?  I’m realizing that being busy doesn’t make me more productive, it makes me more distracted and definitely more frazzled.

I realize that setting aside an hour every day to sit still and quiet the mind and meditate sounds like a joke to most.  But what about 10 minutes a day? 

Could you sit, in a peaceful spot for 10 minutes per day without distraction or connectivity? 

Could you create micro-moments throughout the day where you intentionally let your mind wander?  

My kids were getting a haircut the other day.  As I sat on this very comfortable couch at the salon, waiting for them, I had the option of magazines on a coffee table in front of me, I had my phone, and I’d brought a book. 

I decided to just sit there, without any of it.  It was glorious. 

I realized that very rarely do we allow ourselves to mentally “check out” like this…it felt like a mini-vacation in the middle of my busy day.  It was 2 weeks ago and I still fondly remember it.

Opportunities to be busy and constantly be running around are plentiful, but don’t forget that “only a rat can win a rat race”.  I’d love to see how intentionally not doing anything and literally chilling out for 10 minutes a day can change your life. 

It’s okay, you deserve the break…I promise that the rest of the minutia will be right there waiting for you after your mini daily vacation.  Slowing down may be the best way to speed up