Slow Down to Speed Up
Life can be stressful. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and as if there’s not enough time in the day when your to-do list keeps growing even as your sanity seems to dwindle. I’ve been thinking about this often over the past month. “How can I just slow things down?” Whether it’s related to mindfulness, movement, or nutrition, here are a few ideas and actions that have helped during times of high intensity and occasional duress.
1. 20 Minute Meditation- Do Nothing to Improve Everything (well.. most things)
As the pace of life seems to shift into overdrive it’s easy to feel washed away amidst the storm. It’s easy to feel as if we don’t have enough time to “meditate” properly. It’s common to feel we have to do things the “right” way when it comes to meditation. In reality, progress over perfection is the best approach. Simply sit with your eyes closed for 2 breaths to start. (It feels good… try it now) The habit starts with taking a moment to stop and then drop into the present moment. Next, you can progress from 2-20 minutes to sit, breathe, and bring your attention to the present. Perfection doesn’t exist, simply set a timer, sit, and breathe. I’ve found this practice boosts mood, clarity of thought, and productivity for the rest of the day. When times get stressful, remember to “stop and drop” back into the present moment.
2. Pick Your Battles- Manage your energy during times of stress
When provides difficulty there’s no need to make things harder on yourself. I’m currently in the middle of a long-distance move and have been thinking about how helpful it can be to “pick your battles” when it comes to energy management during stressful times. If you know you are entering a stressful season think about ways that you can reduce the burden in other pillars of your life. Recently, I’ve filled the fridge with pre-made, quick, and healthy food options to save the energy I would usually spend on meal preparation. (Salads, Grass-Fed Jerky, LMNT electrolytes, and eggs have been at the top of my go-to list lately) Remember that it’s just a season and you can return to life as usual as soon as the stressor isn’t as much of a burden. Ask yourself the question-
“What would this look like if it were easy?”
3. Create Space to Decompress- Enabling a nighttime movement routine
I’ve been falling back in love with stretching in the evenings! It’s such a simple and powerful practice. If you don’t already, create a little space in the area where you tend to decompress before bed. I tend to watch a little TV after dinner and have cleared out space to simply move or stretch and it’s been incredible to see how therapeutic and relaxing the addition has been. Find a space to sneak in a few minutes of movement or stretching and let me know how it goes.
4. Awaken Your Inner Explorer & Re-Evaluate Identity
As we continue to evaluate our relationship with technology and screens it’s easy to start thinking about our own habits to determine if there are ways we can shift our attention from the digital to the physical world. The following podcast provided a fascinating perspective on this idea. You can listen below.
On a separate note, another podcast provided a great look into our relationship with work and identity. If you’re dealing with any transitions in your work life it’s a great listen.
5. Invest in Quality- My Journey to Kamikoto
When not moving, I typically love to cook. I spent time working as a prep cook in a French restaurant while in college and learned how to prepare ingredients and dishes from truly exceptional chefs. I spent many years afterward enjoying cooking for friends and family but using multiple sets of standard knives to prep ingredients. This resulted in 100’s of hours spent struggling with sub-par tools. Recently, I’ve upgraded to an incredible set of Kamikoto knives from Japan and I can’t tell you how much I love them! It’s made prepping ingredients an absolute joy of an activity-filled with pride. So in summary, if there’s an item that you use all of the time it might be worth it to finally upgrade to the highest quality version.
Here’s to your health and happiness,
-Shiloh
