The case for taking it slow
Most of us claim we want to slow down. We want to take our time. We want to enjoy our coffee in the morning and not chug it like we’re doing keg stands.
And yet we never do it. We walk even faster to get to the office a few minutes sooner. We rush through conversations with our friends and family so we can move on to the next thing. We microwave frozen meals so we can sit in front of the TV while we scroll Instagram.
I’m just as guilty as the rest. I walk like I’m training for the speed walking olympic team. Always. I get annoyed when slow people drive in front of me. I’m addicted to crossing things off my to-do list – the faster the better.
Taking it slow is worth it.
When I was traveling it seemed like time stretched on forever. Only part of that was from the weird hours I was keeping thanks to the jet lag. I savored each moment. I strolled. I took the time to look around and absorb what I was seeing. My to do list for each day went something like this: eat a delicious breakfast, sit and sip on a cafe con leche, walk around for a bit, eat a delicious lunch, sit and sip on some sangria, walk around and see some things, eat again, sit and read or talk or do whatever else seems relaxing, go to bed.
Nothing was rushed. Nothing needed to be done. I was there for the experience, and I never stressed about making it to one place or another by a certain time (if anything, it was a struggle to make it to dinner late enough).
I’m still working on not rushing in my every day life. There is a time and a place for it, don’t get me wrong. There are occasions at work where time is of the essence – no diddle–daddling allowed. But that doesn’t mean every moment needs to be rushed – the whole day lost in a haze of running. I don’t have to speed through my workout or hurry through dinner.
My weekends are typically one long race toward finishing an unrealistic to-do list. Do I need to wash the baseboards, go to five different places, do all of the laundry, and finish up everything I didn’t get to that week? Definitely not.
Instead, I have been trying to not think of what I’m doing next. If I’m reading, that’s all I’m thinking about. I don’t constantly line up activities or tasks. I take the time to sit and just be. This weekend I moseyed about the farmer’s market, savored every sip of a mocha (with whipped cream!), and sat in a coffee shop to write and just be.
And time stretched on. The day wasn’t a blur or an exercise of endurance.
I enjoyed it. I relaxed.
The weekends are getting easier. I still struggle to sit back and not stress over traffic. Work isn’t exactly a leisurely experience. Dinners still aren’t slowed down as much as they probably should be. Too many things are likely added to my to-do list every day.
But it’s a start.
