If you can't keep going, slow down!
Performance is expected of us from an early age – at school, in sport, at work, as parents. Feeling like life is one big task? Here's how to slow down.
If you spotted a mistake in the headline, then you probably identify more with the motivational quote: “if you can't keep going, push harder”. By its very nature, the human being (homo sapiens) is a lazy creature whose basic pillars of survival are food, sleep and reproduction. Modern man, however, is an inventive creature – proof of that is the artificial intelligence he creates to think for him. Such remarkable progress has cranked up the pace of life. Every day we hear complaints of "I don't have time" or “I'm burnt out”. Stress is no longer exceptional; on the contrary, it's part of everyday life. Performance is expected of us from an early age. Getting good results at school and in sport, being successful in your career and being a great parent. Does it feel to you like life has become one long to-do list?
Yes. We're all living it. That's why it's time to realise that when we're running on empty, it's time to slow down and rest. But how? Here are 3 tips to help you out when you've had more than enough.
Schedule time for yourself
If your calendar looks like a game of Tetris from Monday to Sunday, chances are you're doing too much. Being “busy” isn't trendy any more. Quite the opposite – if we're constantly doing something and never have time to sit with ourselves, to think about what matters, what we enjoy and what we'd like to be doing, we end up doing everything and nothing at the same time.
Book time for yourself in your calendar every week – a blank space.
For example, on Tuesday from 17:00 to 19:00, don't plan what you'll be doing; leave it to chance. Maybe you'll fancy going for a swim, or you'll end up sitting in a meadow looking out over your town.
Notice how stress affects you
Do you find yourself tense during the day – faster breathing, tightness in your back and neck muscles, a clenched jaw? It's quite possible that you've simply got too much on your plate. You can't change that, but you can change the way you respond to stress.
Can you give yourself a 5-minute break for a walk? Great. Breathe in and out, notice how you're breathing – try to slow your breath down. Soon the world around you will slow down too.
Talk to yourself with kindness
The fast pace of life and the tendency to compare ourselves at work, in sport or on social media pushes us into feeling that we're not "enough". Not good enough, successful enough or special enough. And we're far better at convincing ourselves of that than anyone around us. Next time you feel like you're not enough, try asking yourself: "What did I manage to do well?" – and maybe the thing that didn't work out is exactly what you'll do better next time.
Our inner dialogue is often harsh. It's simple: imagine you want to praise a small child – you'd do it with love. You can speak to yourself with that very same love.
