8 Tips On Mastering The Art Of Slowing Down
Personal Growth
In our many pursuits for productivity and multi-faceted definitions of success, we may find ourselves in a constant hustle, multi-tasking, living a grind and/or losing footing of the present.
When I first started Arawme, I drafted a list of the many things I set myself to attain and accomplish. Besides working on Arawme, I maintain a full-time job, along with freelance travel-writing. It wasn’t long until I realize that I could not take and do more than I hold. Productivity was always at the back of my mind - its name hounding me. When my list was not ticked accordingly, I would feel disappointed and sometimes judge myself harshly. The lack of sleep also affected my health in terms of my immunity. I always felt that our physical body is the ultimate jury. The pursuit of productivity backfired and I had forgotten that taking it easy on myself and never compromising on my self-care was part of living an authentic life. It did not take a long time for me to finally realize that there is always a bountiful pile of tasks needed to be done- but with patience and at the right time.
After all, what is authentic and mindful living if it was actually, always a bed of roses?
“The only thing
we have to fear is fear itself.”
At writing of this article, there is a heavy, dense energy in the global collective pertaining to the Covid-19/coronavirus pandemic. For empaths and for those who are heavily in tune with the collective energies, this dense energy can feel very overwhelming.
Fear is an emotion and as humans, we all have a choice/free will in responding to it. There are many people in the world who may not be used to feeling this emotion. They may not have been used to this discomfort before or in a long while. They may not have been used to the feeling of lack of control. They may have not dealt with fear this way before. While there are others who have experienced similar fears in their life before and hence, took a different approach in detaching this fear or not reacting to it at all. Take this deeper lens of mindfulness and offer empathy, support and compassion to all around you. The virus is real, but fear is not. Nevertheless, allow everyone to express their response to fears. Cast those judgments away and help them look at it deeply and mindfully. Transmute the feeling of fear into love.
“Transmute the feeling
of fear into love.”
There is a large scale energetic shift and profound awakening happening at present. It is a call for balance, for shifts, for unity, for hope, for compassion, for sovereignty and most importantly, for slowing down. It is Mother Nature balancing her scale and finally, in her terms.
Take this time to tune inwards, regardless of the comfort of your loved ones, homes, individually or in Nature (if you are lucky to have access to it).
In our professional and personal life, some moments in life warrant us to put the badge of “busyness” down. To avoid burnouts, anxiety, strain in relationships, and a backfire of productivity, we need to take time regularly to slow down. This is a time for a recharge, to reboot our mental well-being and bring our awareness inwards.
Slowing down is such a profound gift. It is a detour to activate true productivity.
The gift is yours to harness, why not integrate it in your life and harness it right now? Below are some tips and ideas I personally use for myself:
Take A Digital Or Media Detox
Social media has brought us closer in this world yet it has also dictated much of our physical life. We are living in a digital era where our life is tightly weaved with social networks and social media. During the times especially when you are feeling overwhelmed, use this time to heavily hone the detachment to these sources which made you anxious or overwhelmed. If it was the constant scrolling on newsfeed/emails/Twitter/Facebook or reading about the current news about world affairs- take a break entirely. Remove your email app on your phone and keep it strictly on your laptop/desktop. Impose personal rules so you will keep work affairs/tasks completely off the hours of your personal life. Take mindfulness inwards and ask yourself what was it that caused you to feel flighty and work your way upwards from there.
I personally like to use this time and pretend that I am on my favorite destination holiday where I will mostly be largely disconnected from the world. Mindfulness centers all aspects of Arawme, to learn more about how I maintain that mindful relation with social media: here is the link for you!
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Protect Your Energies
As a spiritual person, I am mostly attuned to the energies of myself, people and surroundings.
You do not have to be a spiritual person to learn how to protect your energy. Protecting your energies is equivalent to drawing boundaries. When things become overwhelming, like the first point above, I usually take a “humanly detox” too. This involves un-engaging in conversation with people or about topics you would not want to dive to. For example, in the case of Covid-19, one could protect their energy by specifying from the start to not engage in that topic of conversation. In slowing down, invest your energies in yourself, interests, activities that elevate you and not bring you down. If a conversation about a specific topic is making you uncomfortable, make it a point to not engage deeply in it or avoid it as a whole.
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“Where attention goes,
energy flows and results show.”
Get Connected With Nature
The best way to slow down is with Nature.
There is something about Nature that reminds you to live, observe, appreciate and slow down more than you usually would in your daily life. If you are lucky to live by a beach, or a drive to a nature park, take this time to get connected with it. Observe with all your senses how nature interacts, remove those shoes, go earthing, feel that raindrop, take that earpod/earpiece out and listen. Enjoy the unplug and plug into the soothing sounds of Nature.
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Learn A Spiritual Practice
One of my favorite ways to slow down physically and mentally is to meditate. Meditation is a quiet invitation to look inwards.
Harvard Research has shown that transcendental meditation, yoga and other forms of spiritual practice enhance the “ The Relaxation Response”. Any form of meditation that begins from 10 minutes yields amazing scientific proven results including a sense of calm and clarity. Not into meditation? What about that Hatha yoga class you always wanted? A simple gratitude journalling for the day is also considered a spiritual practice. Call out a few friends or get your kids to do it together. Any form of spiritual practice that evoke mindfulness in your life is an antidote to slowing down.
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Take A Change In Environment
Being in a fast-paced, distracted environment may accelerate the hustle, making it difficult for one to slow down. If you are working from an office space, take some time in between for a breather to go for a walk. Likewise, if one is working from home, and feels cluttered, move to another space in your house to work from. Keep opting for movement in your present environment. Find and make a comfortable and distract-less environment to work from. A quick and little change in the environment will help in slowing your down, which in return enhances your productivity.
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Expand Your Creativity Flair
As we tune inwards to slow down and embrace stillness, use this opportunity to expand your creativity.
Each and every one of us is born with a unique, creative flair- it is a matter of whether we explore it adequately or not. Have you always wanted to learn a violin? A guitar? Sketch? Paint portraits? Sew? Start a website? Decorate your room? Travel-write? Write that poetry? Carpentry? This is also a time to resume creative interests you have neglected for a while. Being creative has many forms of outlets. Tapping into it is equivalent to tapping into a stillness that you have long forgotten.
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Take A Day To Do Nothing- NIKSEN
For a day, let it be the day you completely do nothing and slow down.
Niksen is a dutch word with a simple concept of doing completely nothing. It is a coaching tool offered for stressful adults in the Netherlands for stress management and burnout recoveries.
Never mind the responsibilities, the calls or the commitments, take this time for yourself. Think, just be.
It could be staring into space, looking at the surrounding, listening to music, and one can invent a Niksen unique and purposeful for them. Besides slowing down, studies in World Database of Happiness has proven that creativity is enhanced and breakthrough might occur during a Niksen which in return boosts productivity.
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More Observing, Less Reacting
One of the most profound beauties of mindfulness is the art of tuning into a more passive than reactive perspective and approach.
When we allow ourselves and our current realities to present itself without the immediate urge to judge and/or react towards it, we bring forth an awareness to observe, to just be. When you find yourself judging yourself or others critically, it calls for you to slow down and tune inwards. Slowing down is less about our intentions and goals towards what needs to be accomplished but more on we treat ourselves and others. Tune inwards.
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That’s it for Arawme. I hope you enjoyed this piece. Let me know what worked for you or if you have other personal and purposeful ways to slow down. Enjoy the beauty of Niksen!
Love and light,
Sylvia
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I am Sylvia— the founder, writer, intuitive healer, and human design reader of Arawme. “Arawme” is basically, a raw me put together.
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