Learning To Slow Down
I usually write this page well in time to have it online on the first or at least second day of the month. This month, I've been so busy that it's only now, on the 4th of March that I've had time to sit down and take stock. Sometimes I find that I'm so busy living my life, and getting things done that I don't always have time to take a breather and live in the now. As one of my clients says. "I don't always have time to BE, just to DO".
I was working with that client on how she could slow down and realised that she wasn't the only one. It's interesting therefore that although in my day to day life, things are pretty full and busy, when I go on holiday my two favourite activities are slow leisurely ones - walking and diving. Diving in particular is an incredibly leisurely activity. Once you're submerged underwater, it's almost as if time stops. Physiologically, things also slow down for me. Out of water, diving is hard work lugging heavy equipment around but as soon as you're under, you're completely weightless. I move very little, and I breathe long slow breaths, instead of hurried ones. Divers have different styles of diving. Some are almost on a mission getting from A to B and sometimes back again. I prefer to take my dive as leisurely as possible. For one thing, the slower I am, the less air I consume and the longer I can remain under. And it's only by being slow and relaxed that you can really appreciate the underwater life goin g on around you.
On my last dive on my last holiday, I dived a site I'd done before. I didn't go very far or very fast, and for a while, I just hung out on in the same spot. I wasn't in a hurry and I wasn't eager to try and cover too much ground. It was an incredible dive. I was totally and utterly relaxed and totally and utterly at peace - as I often am when diving. I got a chance to fully observe many different fish. More than just 'spotting' them, I was able to really grasp their interactions with each other in the environment, and going about their own business of eating, sleeping, hunting, defending their territory and cleaning. I really felt that I was part of the environment around me, instead of just briefly passing through. It's a lesson that I ought to be able to translate into my day to day life.
Finally, I'd like to share this phrase uttered by a woman on a bus in Australia as the bus driver was driving like a madman, far too fast, and far too erratically. "I'd rather be late in this life, than early in the next". If we rush around too much, not only are we more likely to be early in the next life, but we're not truly allowing ourselves time to enjoy this one.
Slowing Down - Some Tips
- Listen to yourself talk. Are you talking ten to the dozen? From time to time, try and consciously slow your talking down. It'll calm you down and also have a positive impact on those you are talking to.
- Good time management is important and planning your time is an essential part of that. But don't plan so much that you have no room for spontaneity. Allow yourself some time just to Be. If you need to, slot in some ME time with nothing to do and just see what happens.
- Do you eat on the go? It might be a way that you can fit everything in, but it's not good for your digestive system and you often don't fully appreciate the food you're consuming. Instead, allow yourself some time to sit and eat. Chew each mouthful thoroughly and enjoy your food.
- Are you always in a hurry? Sit down and work out what makes you always leave things to the last minute, and work out realistic times to leave so that you can enjoy your journeys rather than be stressed about being late.
- Are you a person who says yes to everything, even the things you'd rather not do? Do you end up being double booked or having too much on your plate? Sit down and take stock of what things you can drop. Practice saying no. Be happy with the choices that you make and recognise that it's better to let other people down from time to time by saying no than to overextend yourself and make yourself ill.
- What do you enjoy doing that relaxes you? Make sure you can fit in time to do it every week, if not every day.
- Deep breathing can have a calming effect. Breathe in slowly through your nose to the count of 5, hold your breath for five counts, then breathe out through your mouth to the count of 5.
- Spending a few minutes relaxing every day helps combat stress, lowers blood pressure and also strengthens the immune systems. Some scientists think that just ten minutes of full relaxation can be as good for you than a full night's sleep. Try this relaxation exercise recommended by the Barefoot Doctor. Lie flat on your back on the floor. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Try to slow it down. As you inhale, imagine filling your lungs with calming energy. As you exhale, visualise all the stress and tension leaving your body. Repeat this nine times. Then, tense every part of your body that's in contact with the floor. Hold for three seconds, let go and enjoy the feeling of release. Do the same with the muscles not in contact with the floor. Finally, think to yourself "I choose to feel calm, I choose to feel relaxed" until you are ready to resume your normal activities.
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