Coaching To Slow Down 2

“Smile, breath, and go slowly” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Sometimes in our world of technology and many choices of different stimulations it is easy to become overwhelmed and rush from one thing to the next. My last post on mindfulness was about being in each moment and noticing the things around you. This week it’s all about slowing down (just a little).

How do I slow down when I’m overdue on this project, have a list of a 100 things to do and no time? It takes practice. And it may look different for you than it does for me. Slowing down for me yesterday was taking the time to go on a hike with my sister who was in town from Minneapolis to enjoy our warm Arizona sunshine.  Yes, I had a long list of items on my to-do list, phone calls to return, and I’m late to my deadline for writing this post. But I made a choice to take that hour of time and be with her and enjoy the beautiful desert; it was a great choice.

Often, I coach my clients to take time to slow down and do something fun by scheduling it on their calendar like they would an important doctor appointment or client meeting. Make it a priority.  You will actually be more productive and your brain will come up with innovative solutions if you take the time to do something completely different or do nothing at all.

This past weekend, I took a 25-minute nap on Sunday afternoon. Again, I had many things to do but had made a lot of progress on my list and just felt tired. Have you or someone you known had that nasty flu or bronchitis that is going around? It has been running rampant through my network; this is a reminder to me to listen to my body when I am tired and take a break. In no way am I saying those that got sick did not listen, sometimes it is just an intersection of bad luck and germs.

I know for me that making the choice to slow down, smile and take some deep breaths helps me to feel better and get more done.  How about you?

photo credit: fatboyke via Flickr creative commons