Whoa. Simmer down, there, pot roast. (And thanks to my niece, super-nurse Natasha Volhontseff, for that wonderful admonition.)
Slow the heck down. Right now.
Why?
I am not a healthcare professional. I have no formal training or certifications in mental, physical, or spiritual healthcare. However, I have known, spoken with, and worked with people who are trained professionals in multiple healthcare fields. I have also tried to be an informed, proactive consumer of healthcare services, from traditional Western medicine to acupuncture, massage, and talk therapy. From that perspective, here are my favorite top incentives to slow down.
Better health for you. Slowing down can help you reduce physical injury and inflammation, It can also help you to reduce mental and spiritual discomfort and create space that enables you to see a clearer path for whatever you’re doing or want to do.
Better collaboration with others. Slower is almost always calmer, more completely thought out, more and better inclusion of collaborators’ input, and implemented better than the “move fast and break things” approach made popular in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. In my experience, that approach works well for finding and fixing problems while developing software and some other products. However, in many if not most cases and interactions, moving too fast risks breaking too many things, some of which may not be fixable.
Broader benefits. Moving more slowly and deliberately can make us all less prone to some injuries and illnesses, reducing our healthcare needs and related costs. Slower driving can reduce accidents, fuel consumption, and wear and tear on cars, roads, and streets. Slower process execution at work and elsewhere can help to identify and eliminate unproductive steps or practices, ultimately making those processes faster and more efficient. Running water a bit more slowly can reduce consumption and costs at home and at work.
I hope you are now persuaded that slowing down is worth exploring or even pursuing. (If not, please go back to the top of this post and reread it more slowly. An obvious next question would be “How and where should I start?”
I’m glad you asked.
Dortch’s Recommendations for Slowing Down
Breathe. No equipment, supplements, or training required. Offers immediate and long-term benefits. Available in multiple, easily customizable patterns. Can be done anywhere, anytime. Can help with energy, focus, and relaxation. Can induce slight dizziness. Can also help resolve slight dizziness.
Start by paying more attention to your breathing. Remind yourself to take deeper, slower breaths in and out. Especially when about to do something mentally, physically, and/or spiritually challenging. Over time, add patterns – inhale for a count of four, hold for a count of four or five, then exhale for a count of five or six, for example. Find others online.
Remember these aphorisms. They can help you remember to slow down, and they’ve been around long enough to become aphorisms for good reasons.
“Your lack of planning is not my emergency.” Something worth remembering (and sometimes even repeating out loud) when pressured by others with sudden, immediate needs or compressed deadlines.
“Well begun is half done.” Whether Aristotle said it or not, this is a powerful reminder of the value of careful, deliberate planning before jumping into that project. A worthy, more modern companion reminder: “Measure twice, cut once.”
“Slow and steady wins the race.” Pretty much self-explanatory.
“S/He who laughs last, laughs best.” Don’t rush the ending just because it’s in sight. Make sure what looks like a light at the end of your tunnel isn’t a fire or an oncoming train.
Get outside. One way to slow down is to interrupt whatever you’re rushing through with a brief break. Getting up and going outside, even if just to stand still and point your face at the sky for a few minutes, can help you to slow down. The shift in perspective can even help you see a new approach to that thing you were doing. Which may help you complete it more quickly, even taking those breaks into account.
How do you slow down, if at all? How has slowing down helped you, at home, at work, or elsewhere in life? Have you experienced any downsides while trying to slow down? Please share – and of course, feel free to take your time.
Now What? Your Serve...
I am naively optimistic enough to believe there is value in trying to look at what I do, how I do it, and why I do it. Writing about things like those in this piece is part of that process. So to echo my ABCs of human motivation, the achievement of writing and sharing these posts delivers the benefit of helping me crystallize some thoughts and feelings, and tighten up some of the internal connections linking my body, mind, and spirit.
This collection of thoughts and feelings also offers the promise of connection with others. That's where you come in.
Your reactions eagerly sought and warmly welcome. Feel free to leave your thoughts wherever you’re reading this if comments are supported, or to email me directly at medortch@dortchonit.com. I hope this begins some interesting conversational threads, excerpts and summaries of which I will gladly and gratefully share (anonymously or with attribution as you prefer) in future outings, several of which are already in various stages of construction.
Thanks for reading. Thanks again in advance if you share your reactions with me, share this post with others, or both. And please stay connected so we can continue and extend this emerging, evolving conversation.
We All Hunger and Thirst (WAHAT) is a series of pieces I’m writing and publishing to share things I’ve learned and foster connections and conversations about various elements of life and the world. Send your suggestions and reactions to me directly at medortch@dortchonit.com and feel free to share what you’ve read with others. Thanks!
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