Learn To Slow Down And Enjoy Every Moment

by Pavlina Toren

I am turning 41 next month. As I write that number I find it so hard to believe. Not because I am afraid of getting old but the fact at how fast time is going by.

There are only a handful of times in a year that usually make me think about time. New Years, my kids birthdays and my birthday. Every year, as those days approach, I think to myself where has the time gone??

So many times we tell ourselves “I’ll be happy when ______” We’re constantly trying to get somewhere. When did life become so busy, so loud and exhausting.

This is why I love my mornings so much. I get to just be. JUST drink my coffee, JUST think. Then, as soon as it’s time to get ready for the day, the race starts. We glorify busy. Busy is good. Busy is what we should strive for- at least that’s what we’re often told.

But what happens when we slow down? Life gets better. We enjoy the little things, and appreciate so many more things in our life. I am sharing 3 ways to slow down and make your days more enjoyable.

EAT

Eating is probably one of the most important places where you should slow down. I love cooking for my family and sometimes I take my time and really enjoy the process. When it comes to eating I am not going to rush through dinner after I spent all that quality time making it. Whether its dinner with your family or a picnic lunch outside on your lunch break, eat slower, appreciate the textures, flavours, and your surroundings.

WAIT

Raise your hand if you don’t like waiting in line, no matter how short? At a doctor’s office, at a grocery store, at the mall, or when stuck in traffic. We just get annoyed so easily and want to move up as quickly as possible, don’t we? We tap our feet, check our phones for time; all while realizing that it doesn’t matter how annoyed we get, it won’t make the line move any faster. The time you spend waiting, doesn’t have to be wasted.

Use that as an opportunity to slow down and be present. Look around notice the people around you, think about your plans for the evening or have a good conversation with your kids. All I am saying is that use that time for something that makes you happy instead of worrying and complaining about something that is not in your control. Once you get into  habit of bringing yourself back into that present moment, you will never “waste” that time again.

FOCUS ON OTHERS

I get it we all get busy and we all live in our little bubble and sometimes it is very easy for many weeks to go by without taking time to spend with others. I can’t stress the importance of this, I always feels so great if I go for tea or coffee with my girlfriend and chat. You will beel more connected to the people around you and feel like you are not missing parts of their lives as the time goes by.

Just like the food, we should savor that time. Spend time with others, slowly. Notice how their eyes widen and twinkle when they talk about something exiting that’s happening in their lives.

Listen

I know that it’s natural for us to talk about ourselves. Sometimes we feel like we just have so much to say, we keep cutting each other off. By focusing on the person I’m speaking to. I listen, I watch, I try to take in their every word. If you do this, you end up really being there, in that moment; with your friend, your mom, or your kids.

I think that there are many other things in life we can do slower (even something simple as washing your dishes) but these three are the ones I have recently worked on and feel like it has made a huge difference in my life. These three things: eating, waiting, being with people-  are all things we all already do, why not try doing them a little slower?

Read more from Pavlina Toren here.

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