In a culture where busyness is used as a measure of success, slowing down can be difficult. Even while I was on retreat in Costa Rica last week, where everything is more relaxed and low key, I felt tempted to fill every moment. When I found myself with an hour of downtime on my first full day, I initially started thinking of ways to fill it - maybe a walk to the beach or a visit to the cafe to get a smoothie. Then I realized that was directly in conflict with what I needed most from my trip, which was an opportunity to slow down, rest and reset after two months of a lot of change, stress and activity.
So instead, I set a timer, laid down on my bed and closed my eyes. After that first brief nap, I fought the urge to be productive and allowed for 15 minutes of inactivity each afternoon while I was in Costa Rica.
According to Brendon Burchard in his book The Motivation Manifesto "We were not destined to go barreling through life, half-numb, unaware of our senses and surroundings, deaf and blind to the magical qualities of the moment...we are not supposed to miss this moment. Our brain was not built for this frenzy, forced to focus on everything yet nothing, sped up and buzzed out by syrups and stimulants, crammed with so much random negative information and so many pointless tasks that there is never a singular focal point to immerse in or achieve or celebrate." This holiday season, slow down, take it all in and don't miss this moment - for this is our one life, and if you're always running, you will miss it!
Join us for the next free webinar in the Healthy Habits Series, Stress Less, on Tuesday, November 12. Register for free on Eventbrite to receive the link to join the webinar.