Slow Down

We are still on a mission for happiness! Yesterday, we talked about how practicing daily gratitude can help you be happier, and today, we are going to talk about slowing down. 

Think about eating your favorite meal. Hmmm, for me lately that is going to have to be some delicious guacamole and queso with chips. Yes, I am calling that a meal. Don’t judge me! 😂 I love to savor every bite, and my guess is that you do the same with your meal. Life is meant to be treated like good guacamole my friends!

Some people thrive when they are busy, so they won’t love the idea of slowing down. Now, I am not telling you to sit around like a slug all of the time. I am not telling you to be unproductive. Quite the opposite really.

Being an adult naturally puts a lot on a person’s plate. I am simply saying that you need to find time to slow down and enjoy moments. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a break. Pull back a little bit. Schedule something that you know will bring you joy. For me that is some time in nature or time with family & friends.

Don’t be unproductive though. Don’t bury your head in the sand and ignore life’s responsibilities because that only leads to being busier in the long run. Take breaks, be organized, and never be afraid to ask for help. 

Years ago I read that BUSY stands for Being Under Satan’s Yoke. This simply means that when you are busy you don’t have time to focus on God or the things that He would want you to focus on. Satan can keep you distracted. Now, if you aren’t a Christian, that might not resonate with you. For me, I was in a very busy stage with young children, and I had very little time to focus on anything that I felt was important let alone the Lord. Let me tell you, I definitely don’t want to live for Satan! 

I am still a busy person. I work full time as a teacher, and I tutor after school. I even signed up to teach summer school. I am a mom to three kids who are still living at home. Plus, I am now blogging again because I love to write, and I love to share my thoughts on gratitude, joy and kindness with the world. Again, I am not telling you to be a slug.

What I am telling you is to be in tune with yourself. Don't allow yourself to get distracted from what matters. If you are starting to feel overly stressed, figure out what you can do to de-stress. I like to go outside and sit in my hammock. This gives me peace, and that peace leads me to happiness. 

Other times, when I am feeling overwhelmed, I may have to say no to commitments or invitations. I have learned not to have FOMO…or a fear of missing out. Sure, I don’t love missing Trivia Night or dinners out with my wonderful friends, but when life is too much, I sometimes have to say no. 

This makes me think of the oxygen mask analogy. You know the one. You're on the plane, and the oxygen masks come down. You have to put your mask on before you put the mask on others. The idea is that you can’t help others if you don’t take care of yourself.   

Well, in order to take care of myself and others, I have to allow myself to slow down every few days or so. Plus remember, I can’t constantly be chasing after conditional happiness. We know that only satisfies us for a very limited time. However, in the process of knowing myself slowing down when I need it, I often find happiness. It’s a beautiful thing!

I hope you will take time to better learn yourself. I hope you will learn when you need to slow down and savor some wonderful moments. I truly believe those moments will lead you to great happiness.

#slowdown #nofomohere #learnyourself