FIVE TIPS TO SLOW DOWN YOUR LIFE
Diane McCarthy, ACSW
1. Remember to breathe! Your body needs air—lots of it—to function at its best. Take a deep breath, drawing air in from just above your waist, allowing it to rise up through your chest. Hold to the count of four (slowly!) and then, count to four again as you breathe out through your mouth. For starters, try doing this exercise each time you get in the car, repeating it four times. Once you get the hang of it, increase your use at other key transition times in your day (when you get up, go to bed, etc.)2. Keep your thoughts in the present. Our brains often resort to repetitive or otherwise unproductive thinking when we feel stressed, draining our energy and preventing us from truly appreciating the present. Devise a key word or phrase you can use to interrupt your thoughts and get back to the present moment. 3. Focus on one thing at a time. Why multitask when you don’t need to?4. Fast music speeds us up and slow music slows us down. Like to listen to music on your commute to and from work? Try switching to something with a slow beat if you’ve had a hectic day. Just as we often begin tapping our feet to a fast beat, we tend to slow down our breathing and mental processes during the slow songs.5. Take a break. Fight the urge to get “one more thing done”. Not taking a break often seems like a good idea at the time, but usually leaves us drained at the end of the day, with little energy for family or friends. Taking breaks during the day helps us to pace ourselves and restores our energy. 