Slow Down: How To Do It And Why

Do you and I need to be in such a hurry? We look around and see how this world’s pace is not only hurried, but it’s also hectic. Is it necessary for us to match its pace? This is the subject of this week’s Encouragement for Real Life podcast episode, If God Is Not in a Hurry, Why Are We? In it we pondered our hurry habits and looked at the ways and the whys to slow down and not be in such a rush.

Life is too short to live it in a hurry.

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet, I invite you to do so here. It’s only 17 minutes long, and I believe it’s a subject we can each find some encouragement in. I pray it encourages you.

Slowing down sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? But isn’t slowing down considered lazy? Isn’t hustling and grinding through our days much more approved of in today’s society? I’m sorry, but hustling and grinding cannot be sustained for long periods of time. They just can’t. Hurry and hustle aren’t a peaceful way to live. Going slow is.

But how do we do that? How do we go slow? How do we slow things down? Because we live in a world that’s incredibly fast paced, slowing down is counter-cultural. Slowing down is like swimming upstream. Alone. Because most everyone we know is on the fast track too, right? As I mentioned in the podcast episode, the way to slow down is to do it intentionally. Because it isn’t going to happen on its own. No. We will naturally try to keep up with the pace of the world. We will naturally do what we see.

But, you and I can choose to live at a slower, more fulfilling pace.

We can slow down our minds and our feet. And I believe it’s worth it to do so. Why? Well, because living in a hurry is affecting our health. It’s causing stress and worry. Living in a hurry is not God’s best for us. Because if He wanted us to be in a hurry, He would be in one. And we never see Him or Jesus in a hurry, do we? (At least I cannot find evidence of such.)

Hurry causes us to miss important moments in life. It distracts us from the here and now and from the blessings God is placing right in front of us. We cannot live in the moment if we are living in a hurry. It’s nearly impossible to do so. This life is too important to live it distracted by hurry.

No, hurry is not our friend, and if you ask me, we should avoid it as much as possible.

So, how do we slow down?

How do we choose to live at a different, more intentional pace? What can we do to avoid the rush of hurry? Here are a few ways that may help.

We can slow down by:

Embracing Quiet

This world is noisy, isn’t it? When was the last time you and I just sat where it was quiet? Where no noise distractions were present? Sitting in quiet slows us down. If it’s been awhile or if silence makes us nervous, slowly embracing the quiet will help our minds and bodies adjust. Try just 5 minutes today. Then 5 more minutes tomorrow. Keep building some quiet time into the day. Pretty soon we will embrace the quiet and desire it!

Praying

I’m one who prays often throughout my day. When I feel rushed I ask God to help me slow down. To slow down my thoughts and my pace. I ask God to help me see the blessings He has placed in my life. This helps me immensely. I invite you to ask God to help you in slowing down throughout your day.

Unplugging from our phones

This can be a difficult one, because we do so much on our phones. What if we designated some time each day to put our phones away and to stop our scroll? Sometimes I think our phones can cause us to hurry in ways we don’t need to be. Maybe unplugging could be the best thing we can do for part of our day.

Stepping outside

Taking a break in our day and stepping outside can help us slow down. A change of scenery where we can fill out lungs with fresh outdoor air gives us a new perspective. Something happens when we stand under the expanse of the sky and remember God is holding it all.

Breathing slowly

This is one we can do anywhere, anytime. Take a few deep breaths in and out. Not only does this help us physically and mentally, but it also slows down our heart rate and our thoughts. Some people set a timer to do this hourly. Sounds like a good idea to me!

Listening to relaxing music

What music relaxes you? Try playing it throughout the day or when you tend to rush. Maybe in the car or while you’re getting ready in the morning. This is one I want to incorporate into my day, especially while driving!

Choose one that works for you and see what happens. If it doesn’t work, try another. Slowing down may just be the best thing you and I can do for ourselves!

Even though it may take some time to adjust to a new pace of life, it’ll be worth it. Let’s just do one thing to slow down today. Then another tomorrow. Let’s take it one day at a time. One moment at a time. Before long we will embrace this new way of living and find joy and peace in our pace. I’m praying for each of us in this today!

Much love,