Slow Down

Even when – or especially when – we are managing multiple code-red emergency situations at once, we need to carve out a little time to slow down. We may fear slowing down, because if we stop to breathe for a moment, we may really FEEL how overwhelmed we are, and then how are we going to get back up and keep going?

The thing is, if we are chronically in overdrive, and if we don’t slow down, or at least pause for just a few minutes of self-care, we risk adrenal fatigue and associated health problems – which, among other things, will only add to our overwhelming to-do list, and will otherwise make us less capable of taking care of business. To the contrary, the more we calm our nervous system, the more we activate our innate healing mechanism – known as “rest-digest” mode – and with these injections of restoration, the more we can go the distance.

In other words, we paradoxically need to slow down, if we want to speed up.

Here are some quick ways I slowed down and nurtured myself, and some of the products I used to help me do so, during a period of my life that was all code-red, all the time:

1. I made a hard boundary that the first 15 minutes of the day were mine, to drink coffee, let my mind wander, listen to sound healing CDs, journal, and just breathe. Jewels of Silence was my favorite CD. It’s by Ashana, a musician who combines operatic vocalization with crystal singing bowls. It’s exquisitely soothing and healing.

2. I went on a 10-15 minute walk on a trail that is a few minutes from my house – typically once a day. These days I also listen to music as I walk – and even dance along the way! – with bluetooth headphones that are connected to my smartphone. I love these purple headphones, which are both cost-effective and stylin’.

3. I took a scalding hot bath at night, with all-natural Epsom salts and organic essential oils, rotating through different scents. One of my go-to scents is eucalyptus oil, and I have been happy with the Eve Hansen brand.

I recommend writing down three things you find soothing, and contemplating how to do them in short snippets of time. Then put that list somewhere you will see it, as a reminder that you deserve – and you need – to slow the f*** down.

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