Slowing down came for me
It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Nathaniel Drew and this is yet another post inspired by his content. This time, I wanted to discuss the importance of slowing things down, at least from time to time.
As a corporate millennial coming out of burnout, who lived for years on end in the beast mode, the work-while-they-sleep mode, constantly feeling pressured to be more, do more, learn more, make more, slowing down was absolutely counterintuitive for me.
Slowing down meant giving up the momentum I thought I had built and denying all my work ethic. It meant not putting in the effort I needed to put in order for me to be considered successful. I know this sounds dramatic, but this was my headspace until the end of last year.
So why did I decide to slow down now? Because I had no choice. Being hospitalized because of the stress levels I was under left me no choice but to rethink my approach to work. I wanted to find different mindsets and methodologies to think about work. From all the information I gathered, slowing down seemed like common ground.
But how would I do that, being the addicted to everything-has-happen-as-fast-possible person I was? My first basic answer is mindfulness and meditation and I find that kind of frustrating. It seems like these are the new buzzwords of the moment, right? But what do they actually mean? And how does that relate to slowing my life down?
Defining mindfulness and meditation
According to Mindful.com,
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.
Meditation on the other hand, according to Mayo Clinic, is
The practice of focused concentration, bringing yourself back to the moment over and over again[...]
Can you see where I'm trying to get with this? Bringing yourself back to the present over and over again, being fully aware, and observing your feelings and sensations, concentrating on that for as long as possible, can actually slow things down, but in a good way. It can promote balance.
I'm not saying you shouldn't ever look back and see how you might do things a little differently, what could be improved, etc... Nor am I saying that looking into the future to make plans, prepare yourself for something, and start creating your foundations to meet a future vision is terrible. On the contrary.
What I'm trying to say is to not dwell on either of those for too long, the present also needs you. That's where the action is, that's where you live life.
Why, though?
Back to the topic of slowing down, I think those practices are valid because they put us in a state of mind where nothing else matters except our senses. There is no emergency, no deadline, no demands, no chores, just awareness. It can be enough to regulate our minds, put things into perspective, and feel more present. Of course, the more you do it, the easier it gets. It's like a muscle.
I know it can still be really hard for me, without guidance. I love guided meditation because it takes the need for discipline out, which helps me relax and fully surrender to feeling present. That goes to show that you need to practice how it makes sense to you.
Slowing frightened me because I got the sense I was not being productive if I wasn't thinking about work, doing something related to work, or actually working. Self-awareness seemed like a waste of time on my path to becoming the best worker ever. Even writing this down makes me cringe at myself.
I wouldn't say I have slowed down enough to lead a healthy life from now on because this journey of mine has only started, but I can say I do not intend to go back to the mindset I used to have.
What about you? At what pace are you going?
Comments