The Art of Slowing Down: A Path for Greater Happiness
Path for greater happiness no matter what your desires or goals are in life, I bet if we unpack them, under each one is a desire for greater happiness. Whether you’re seeking money, love, health, or purpose, ultimately you are seeking what you believe will make you happier. And happiness brings a sense of aliveness, engagement, and vitality to life.
Do you feel like you’re never well-rested anymore? Do you spend your days bouncing back and forth between fitful sleep and frantically rushing through tasks? You’re not alone in this! In the process, we forget to honor an essential thing in life: our happiness.
Our society places such a high value on checking items off your list as quickly as possible. We stretch ourselves thin, to the point of breaking, just to honor this mindset.
The first step towards honoring our happiness is to S L O W down! How does one do that, exactly? I’m glad you asked.
Start Your Day Slowly To Happiness
People tend to wake up in the morning and rush right into a task. They check their social media, their email, their schedule, then jump right into action. Instead, set your alarm for 10-15 minutes earlier than you need to wake up. Use this time to align your mindset for the day; take a moment to enjoy the sunshine, make your bed, do some gentle stretching. Create an intentional morning routine that prepares you for the day ahead towards happiness.
Work Double Time
Wait, work double time? Aren’t we supposed to be slowing down? Don’t worry; I don’t mean this in the traditional sense!
Sometimes we underestimate how much time it will take to complete a task. When this happens, we begin to feel frustrated, stressed, even angry. Before starting a task, plan to spend double the amount of time you think you need to complete it. If you plan for an hour, but you finish the task in thirty minutes, you will feel calm, relaxed, and like you were given the gift of time!
Walk Half Speed
Take some time in your day to walk somewhere, but walk at half the speed you usually would. Use that time to notice and absorb all the little details around you that you would otherwise miss. Do you see any birds’ nests for the first time in a while? Maybe you’ll witness a sweet moment between a mother and her child. Do you notice yourself smiling a little more? Happiness. Now we’re getting somewhere!
One Less Thing
How often do you fall for the trap of “Oh, let me cram one more task into my evening”? Rather than try to rush through one more task at the end of the day, just save it for tomorrow. Doing one less thing will alleviate the pressure of today, so you are well-rested for tomorrow. And hurried work is rarely quality work, anyway! Use those spare minutes for breathing, relaxing, and enjoying your surroundings.
Forget the FOMO
FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out, runs rampant in our culture. We are always so concerned about what everyone else is doing, and if we’re doing the same to “keep up.” We rush and put pressure on ourselves to watch the same movies, go on the same trips, see the same concerts, take the same fitness classes, eat at the same restaurants – it’s all so much!
Forget the FOMO. Forget about what everyone else is doing and prioritize the things that are important to you. Without the burden of scheduling every activity possible into our days, we can create space to enjoy time with our loved ones – and ourselves.
Do…Nothing
Once you master the art of slowing down, of doing nothing, the path to greater happiness will become clear. Above all, remember to breathe and enjoy the times of doing nothing. That’s hard work for some, and it does take practice! Set a goal of embracing dolce far niente – the sweetness of doing nothing. It is an art form all in itself, replacing busyness with solitude, stress with gratitude, rushing with stillness.
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