Slow Down….

Slow down. Calm down. Don’t worry. Don’t hurry. Trust the process.

alexandra stoddard

In case we don’t already know the story of the tortoise and the hare, here’s the short version….

The hare is very confident of winning, so it stops during the race and falls asleep. The tortoise continues to move very slowly but without stopping and finally it wins the race.

Many of us are very guilty of throwing away ANY progress because we’re only making small progress!! This is a really challenging mindset to address, and can usually only be done by continuing to attend weekly meetings. The Tortoise and Hare story is a good one to read!!

However, when it comes to slowing down. maybe we should consider the wider options regarding slowing down. Let’s look at exactly WHAT we could slow down that would benefit our results.

• Breathing – Something we all think we know how to do, but isn’t is also what we do automatically without thinking. There are specific breathing techniques which can reduce anxiety, help to calm, relax and de-stress, as well as aid and improve restful sleep. Simply inhale for 4 seconds through your nose. Hold for 7 seconds and exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds – repeat until you feel the benefits!
• Activity – Take time when you are taking part in activity to absorb and enjoy it, try not to see it as a means to an end, savour the process, especially when walking! Notice the flowers, trees, sounds and smells, take it all in!!

• Eating – It is well known that it can take up to 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that it’s full (A lot of damage can be done in 20 minutes!!) Slowing down your eating can make a huge difference to how full and satisfied you feel. Try this experiment – Time yourself eating your meal, once you have that information you can then begin to lengthen each meal by adding on 5 minutes. To help slow down the eating process, try adding more texture and foods that require chewing. Your aim is to stretch each meal time to between 20 – 30 minutes. Also consider adding a glass of water to each meal and take time to sip it in between. When you think about it, most of us when we go out for a meal ask for a jug of a water!!

These behaviour strategies can greatly impact your quality of life as well as enhancing the pleasure. If working on all the above enables you to slow down, it just may help to shift your mindset from negative to a more positive one that helps you enjoy the process and the journey!!

The ‘slow lifestyle’advocates adopting a slower pace of life, consciously making an effort to be more present in the moment, and therefore living in a more balanced, meaningful and life – affirming way.

harrit clifford