Life seems to move at a rapid pace for most of us. This often leaves us feeling over scheduled, overstimulated and overwhelmed. Sometimes I long for the weekends of my childhood. The stores closed at 12 pm on Saturday and Sunday was pretty much exclusively for going to church, mowing your lawn, Sunday drives, incinerating your garden clippings and of course a Sunday roast.
I am probably romanticizing at least some of this e.g. the smell of freshly cut grass, somewhat masked by thick bellowing smoke, being forced into the car in order to go to Sunday School and oh and those Sunday drives that seemed like they were never going to end. However, life did seem a little simpler. There seemed to be a predictability about the week. No one asked what you did over the weekend; they just assumed you were mowing lawns, lighting fires and driving around endlessly looking at other peoples gardens.
However, now there seems to be a sense of urgency in everything we do. Each weekend is packed with social activities, shopping and housework. Usually by the end of my weekend, I am exhausted and I’m looking forward to the new week. No wonder we feel overwhelmed and no wonder we feel challenged by the idea of slowing down. I personally feel as I will miss out on something if I’m not utilizing every second, doing activities that are suppose to be making me happy. I now realize that what I am missing out on is the rhythm of life. I am missing out on the simple pleasures of sitting with a cup of tea, or watching my son draw a picture or listen to music (really listen). Being in the moment, requires us momentarily to stop, breath, observe and absorb. Our hurried and harried lives leave people feeling that this isn’t a choice. However, that is where we are wrong.
Tips of slowing the pace.
Say no - Saying no to others often means saying yes to yourself.
Stop and notice the smell of your freshly brewed cup of coffee
Breath - deep breathing can connect us to our surroundings and lower our stress levels.
Try having a family day once a week that doesn’t involve spending money.
Meditate
Enjoy simple pleasures over the weekend (time off) like reading, going to the beach or feeding some ducks.
Reconnect with loved ones.
Have a least one shop free day per week.
Don’t use your car for one day per week.
Make something creative.
Cook something with love and share it with those that you love.
Laugh with friends.
Garden, sing, fly a kite, dance or whatever makes your soul come alive.
Go hiking/walking.
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