Slow Down, You Move Too Fast

Do you ever feel like you resemble a hamster on a wheel - running and running and running, with no time off and no chance to catch your breath? This is a common theme among many of my clients, and as a mom of two young children as well as a business owner, it is one I can certainly relate to. We are always and forever trying to "get things done," cross things off of our never-ending to-do list, but the reality is: there is ALWAYS more to do and everything feels like has to be done RIGHT NOW. Rather than providing the comfort and relief and sense of accomplishment we are looking for, our attempts to do it all instead creates imbalance, chaos and dissatisfaction in our lives (not to mention stress, weight gain and disease). What is the solution, we wonder? Maybe it's to work harder, get more done, stay up a little later, do just one more load of laundry, or answer one more email. Although I frequently find myself doing just these things, I have finally realized that I am barking up the wrong tree. Are you? I can frequently be heard encouraging a client to take more time for herself, to sit down and eat a meal mindfully, to slow down. (I firmly believe that our weight and our health and our mental state are directly linked to stress). What I often hear back is, "But HOW? I have NO TIME for (fill in the blank - exercise? Relaxation? Mediation? Myself? My relationship with my husband? To sleep? To sit down for lunch? To make a healthy dinner?)" I get it, I really do, but the fact is, we will never be given more time. We are the ones who must create it for ourselves and our well-being. Time is something we in this culture tend to feel we never have enough of - however, the reality is, everyone in the world has 24 hours in a day, everyone in history has always had 24 hours in a day, and we will - as long as we exist - have 24 hours in a day. This amount will never change for any of us and, even if it did, I imagine that those of us who tend to fill it all up with busy-ness, would find a way to fill up our days even if we were given more time! There are very successful and satisfied people who actually don't rush through their days, who feel like they do have plenty of time and who experience enormous amounts of satisfaction and joy in their lives (if they can do it, so can we!) I am suggesting that it is within our power to create some down-time, to create some relaxation, to create some TIME for ourselves. But how does a busy person, with multiple responsibilities, do such a thing? Consider the concept of crowding out: When we are trying to improve our diets and minimize sugar, caffeine and processed foods, it can be very helpful to "crowd out" these things out by ADDING IN in more water, fresh fruits and vegetables, and real, whole foods. Naturally and simply, we feel better and find less of a need for the fake foods that provide us with fake energy and immediate relief. If we simply try to get rid of the foods that are causing our body stress, it can be much more difficult both physically and psychologically. The same can hold true with time. There may be nothing you feel you can cross off your to-do list. However, I guarantee, that if you commit to ADDING IN 5 minutes of meditation or 30 minutes of exercise or one evening during the week for time with your partner or one morning a week to sleep in or one hour to savor your lunch, THE WORLD WILL NOT END. Your to-do list will still be there tomorrow (it's okay, it will always be there), the people who are waiting for a phone call or email back from you will still be there, the groceries will still need to be bought and the laundry will still need to be done - unfortunately J. In the meantime, you may find that you actually enjoy having time to rest, to meditate, to spend with your partner, to do nothing, to savor your food. Not only will you be protecting your health, but you may also be saving your sanity and your soul.