I’ve often wondered why we’re always in a hurry to get somewhere, everywhere, in fact anywhere else other than where we are. While we’re waiting in line at the grocery store, in traffic, or waiting for our morning coffee, we seem to easily get agitated; tapping our feet, checking the time and wishing we had some magical power to make the queues before us disappear so we could be done with it as fast as possible.
What I realised is that as I’ve hurriedly moved from place to place, running errands and trying to keep appointments, like most Americans would, this constant state of hurry is more of distraction for some of us; helping us stay engaged and making us feel like we’re very busy and not necessarily because we’re on a deadline.
Sometimes, life too can get pretty hectic and chaotic. From work, to family, to living our everyday lives, it’s easy for one to get lost in all those activities and to not remember to take things easy. Hence, as much as possible, we should make sure to incorporate a slow pace in life’s activities generally (not only when we’re talking to our kids).
We should aim to get into a habit of yoga, meditation, stretching, relaxation, gentle walking or something similar that we feel comfortable with, where we get to reap the benefits of a slow pace for life. This helps to keep us in a better frame of mind, helping us stay calm, peaceful and more organized through the day’s activities.
Apart from the habits mentioned above, below are other ways through which we can achieve a slower pace lifestyle, once we notice that our daily routines are becoming too fast-paced for our liking.
- CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT
- GET SOME FRESH AIR.
- CHECK-IN WITH YOURSELF
- READ FOR A FEW MINUTES
- OBSERVE YOUR BREATH
- WRITE A LIST
- MOVE YOUR BODY
- PRACTICE SIMPLE RITUALS
Stimulating your parasympathetic nervous system.
Our autonomic nervous system which is the part of our nervous system responsible for involuntary/vital functions such as the heartbeat, digestion, elimination and so on- is divided into two branches: The sympathetic and the parasympathetic branch.
The sympathetic branch is responsible for “fight or flight” or exerting responses. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system increases our heartbeat and constricts our blood vessels thereby making our blood flow faster. Muscles are tensed, reflexes are increased and digestion and elimination are slowed or halted completely. The sympathetic nervous system is necessary to our survival because it enables us to respond quickly when there’s a threat.
On the other hand, the parasympathetic branch is responsible for “rest and recovery” or relaxation responses. Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system decreases our heartbeat, relaxes our blood vessels and muscles thereby allowing blood to bring nutrients and carry waste away from your cells. The digestive and elimination systems are stimulated and our breathing is slowed down. Basically, when the parasympathetic nervous system is aroused, it produces a feeling of relaxation and calm in the mind and the body.
In order for our body to function optimally we need to have a balanced autonomic nervous system. That means a perfect balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic where the sympathetic only activates when called for and whenever we’re performing in this mode, our parasympathetic nervous system is taking a rest, and vice versa. The two systems work together so that as one becomes more active the other becomes less active.
However, these days because of our fast-paced lifestyle, we’re usually out of balance. Many people live in a constant state of high alert or sympathetic nervous system arousal even though there’s no immediate threat. This is caused mostly by our on-the-go, never-enough-time-to-do-everything culture; sensory overload worsened by our need to multitask; and the media’s negative reporting which continuously suggests that we live in a dangerous and unsafe world.
To deal with all of these, here are a few tips that can help us find our balance and maintain a healthy and peaceful lifestyle.
- Get some sleep. Yes, you! Close your eyes and get some good long sleep
- Practice mindful eating
- Check in with your emotions and make sure they’re not always on the edge
- Focus on personal achievement, rather than status
Living in a settled place in the body allows miracles to happen and our lives to flow easily. When we are always on active alert, we cannot even see what is happening around us that is good, we only tend to look for the danger around us and this danger is only a perception, not necessarily the reality.
It is extremely crucial that we’re in the right mode when performing our daily activities. It is not in your best to be emotionally, mentally or physically stressed while carrying out these activities as these tend to significantly reduce our productivity and output.
Slow down. Find peace in little moments. Learn what you love, fill your life with it, and watch yourself come alive.
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