Pace Yourself: 4 Ways for a Slower Living

Alarm rings. Snooze for 10 minutes.
Alarm rings. Snooze 10 minutes
Alarm rings. Damn, switch it off.

Rolls over, and looks at the clock. 8.35!!
Sirens blare. Brush, dress, pass on breakfast.

Where are the car keys?

Dresser? No.

Pant pocket? No.

Closet? Nope.

Under the couch? OMG, yes!

Inside the car. Fuel almost empty. Hell.

Makes it to the office, late as always. Dives into the pool of work…

Are you overwhelmed with life?

I most certainly am. I find myself flooded with a lot of things to do and a lot less time to do them. I am in a constant race to finish my ‘To do’ list, which I mostly lose.

Even when I pride myself on being proactive, The high-octane living has left me vulnerable. It has made me nervous, unrelaxed, always on the edge, and almost jumpy at times. Amusingly, I have been in situations where even my words tumble into each other because I think so fast that my tongue can’t keep up.

Embracing a slow life

This new year, I made a resolution to pace myself.

Easier said than done. Out of habit, I would dive into the raging sea of responsibilities. Then I’d remind myself that I am not that person anymore and slowly get back to shore of inner peace.

It was not easy. I had to stop myself from raising my hand, say no to many enticing opportunities, and worst of all, intentionally procrastinate some tasks. I even had to teach myself to walk slower.

But the effort paid off. I became more peaceful, less distracted, and better at my work. The last ten months taught me a lot. This blog is an ode to slow living.

Slow is simple

First of all, we need to debunk the myth that slow living is sloth living. This misconception arises because of the notion that fast is good. We believe that looney tune dash is the trait of high-achievers.

It is true, if the quantity of work is all that matters. When it comes to quality, a meticulous and thoughtful approach is better.

Slow living is, hence, an efficient way of life. Though relaxed, it is more focused and also facilitates the efficient use of our time, energy, and resources.

However, the unique selling point is that slow living makes our lives less stressful. It trims away distraction and noise.

Stated more simply: it is about decluttering. When we try to stuff many things into our day, our efficiency suffers; thus we are overwhelmed. Slow living gives you enough time to breathe, relax, and concentrate on one thing at a time.

Slow down

So where to start?

1. Prioritize

We overwhelm ourselves by engaging in too many things at once. Some are definitely unavoidable. But we have created many bonds ourselves. Look into the past. Segregate the things you did to useful and useless. Keep the necessary and avoid unnecessary. Yes, you should definitely watch your favorite sports program. But is it worth your time to watch all its promotions? Yes, it is worth spending time with your friends. But should it become mindless scrolling through social media?

2. Avoid attention thieves

Maybe the most crucial part of slow living is to sort out attention-mongers and avoid them. The worst among them is our mobile phone. Learn to limit its use. Turn off social media notifications. Make it a point to check your phone only once an hour. The same goes for work emails and other messaging apps. This will reduce distractions and give you time to focus on what you are doing.

3. Be selectively proactive

No one buys a semi-automatic rifle to kill a rat. You have to adapt your strategies according to the problems. Similarly, you don’t have to be proactive always; many times you can delegate, and in some rare cases, you even have to procrastinate.

4. Create a good routine

One good strategy is to set enough time every day for your chores and responsibilities. Take care to keep the activities within the time frame and not let them overlap.

Slow and steady

You don’t have to retreat to the mountains to escape the stress of modern living. There are easier ways. With slow living, we can simplify our lives and create a stress-free environment for ourselves.

This is ancient wisdom. Remember the kindergarten story of the hare and tortoise? We were taught that slow, steady, and disciplined effort is effective and easy. But somehow we imbibed the habits of the rabbit through the years.

Do you want to live the hectic life of the hare and get burned out or the slow life of the tortoise and live peacefully? Think!

Thank you for reading. Please post your opinions in the comment box below.