I am noticing that I would like to change the pace and stress and rushing in my life. And the question from my son of “Why is Everyone Always in a Rush?” has got me thinking and motivated to try and change that.
Today’s article is going to present a few different ideas on how to try and change the rush rush of life and slow down to enjoy our time more.
Schedule Free Time
I love the analogy of the Big Rocks in the Jar for time management. So using that concept, one idea is to make open, free time a big rock that I schedule on my calendar. I must commit to carving out and keeping this “free time” where I do whatever I or we feel like. No obligations, no errands, no anything except whatever I (or the family) feel(s) like doing at that moment. I would like to have a designated me time and a designated open family time.
Once a month my husband and I do one on one time with the boys and they get to choose whatever they want to do. For my 5 year old, it is often as simple as lunch at home and playing in our playroom together. He has my undivided attention (no screens for either of us) and we just play or color or pretend. It may not sound very exciting but he loves it.
Just say No
The recommendation for this is to actually DO and take on less. Say no to things that are not important to you or your family. Really think about what you can handle and what you want to spend your time on. What can you put off and maybe do later? What can you hand off or delegate to others? What “rules”, policies or limits can you set to help with this? What are you doing just to please others or because you think you “should.” Set more realistic deadlines for those things that you can control. This may be a shift change and could take some time to implement, especially for things that you have already committed to, but think about what you can let go of to free up your schedule and to do list.
Be Present
You often hear about the importance of being present and mindful. What does that mean? To me it means noticing with all five senses where you are, what you are doing, and what is going on around you. Listen, really listen to who you are with and what they are saying. Stop thinking about what you want to say and all the things you have to do and are on your to do list. When you start thinking about the past or worrying about the future, try to let that go and just focus on the present moment – fully. Do not multi-task. Do only one thing at a time. This is not the norm for most of us so it may take practice.
Disconnect
We have technology to help us get more done and connect with others yet it is not truly helping. Most of us work more than ever because we are “on” and responding to emails, texts and requests during most of our waking hours. We feel like we have less free time. Put your phone and computer away for designated times. Bundle the time that you will look at and respond to emails. All those seconds and minutes of checking your email or Facebook add up and are not adding joy to your life. They are a distraction and a time waster. People are not fully present or connecting to others because they are looking at their phone and not listening to the person sitting right next to them.
Be in Nature
Related to disconnecting and being present, another solution is to be in nature, ideally at least once a day. Who remembers laying on the grass and looking up at the clouds and seeing what shapes are there? That is a feeling of luxury for me. Nature has a proven calming and healing effect that we all should take advantage of. Feel the sun or wind on your skin. Look at the beauty around you. Notice the birds and animals and changes that occur at a slower pace. Literally make the time to stop and smell the roses or fresh air as much as possible.
Create Time Cushions
The last idea to help you slowdown is to give yourself and plan for more time than you think you need to meet deadlines or do something. Try to add 25% more time to your estimates for how long you think you need to get somewhere or do something. This is a biggie for me. I am always trying to maximize and fit one more thing in so that then I am rushing and trying not to be late. Imagine if you gave yourself 15 minutes instead of the normal 10 minutes to drive across town. Then if there is traffic or you get stuck behind a garbage truck you are not stressing so much because you have some extra time allotted. Give yourself more space between appointments so that you can move through your day more leisurely. Is it really the end of the world if you arrive early somewhere? If so, you can relax and breathe and enjoy some quiet down time.
I realize that many of these simple ideas may not be so easy to implement but I do think that they are worth the effort and the time to help all of us to slow down and truly enjoy our life more.
My challenge to you is to pick just one of these ideas and decide how you will implement it into your life to help you slow down and find more pleasure in your days. I would love to hear what you do and how it goes.
Wishing you some space to breathe and relax this week.
All my best,
Tara
Recent Comments