Slow Down and Smell the Roses

Hold on there. Stop rushing around for a moment and focus on yourself for a second, especially on the killing pace you're currently keeping up. Recognize some of the following telltale signs that life is becoming a never-ending sprint?

Do you...

• Eat too many meals on the run?
• Avoid regular exercise--after all, who has the time?
• Get less sleep than you need?
• Constantly check and re-check your to-do list?
• Rarely have an evening to enjoy your friends and family, much less touch base with your inner self?

And what about a vacation? Maybe next year. Just like the juggler in the circus, you've got too many plates spinning in the air to consider the "luxury" of even a week away.

If this describes you, join the club. Being busy has become the new American lifestyle. The culprits are the ever-accelerating pace of today's existence coupled with the cell phones, pagers, and laptop computers that press us to do more and more--and more. Unfortunately, this frantic activity doesn't mean you necessarily get more done. In fact, doing two or three things at once almost guarantees that something will slip through the cracks.

Speeding through life can also take a toll on your health, bringing on headaches, fatigue, and muscle aches and pains, as well as contributing to high blood pressure and heart disease. Moreover, the rat race has probably already caused a serious disconnect with your inner spirit. And without the emotional rudder of your spiritual side, you increasingly feel out of touch with what's important to you.

Think you fit the speed-queen profile? Here are some tips to help you slow down and begin to enjoy life again:

• Figure out what matters most to you.
  As you've probably found out, you can't do it all--at least not all at the same time. So make a list of your top five priorities and compare them to what's really keeping you so busy. Notice some major differences? If so, it's time to make changes. Maybe you need to ask your husband or boyfriend to do the laundry once in awhile. Or make a date with your boss to discuss your workload when he piles on more projects. Why not buy the cupcakes for your child's birthday party instead of making them this year. In order to slow down, first you have to prioritize what's really important to you, then prune away the nonessentials.
• Do one thing at a time.
  Our society may tell you that you should be able to juggle two or three jobs at once, but the reality is that multi-tasking usually results in more stress for you and work that is ultimately disappointing. Focus on bringing one thing to completion, pause for a moment of self-satisfaction, then go on to the next project. Not only will your concentration improve, so will your creativity and the quality of what you produce.
• Give yourself "time-outs."
  Carve out at least two 15 minute blocks of time from your schedule each day. Use these "breaks" to do whatever refreshes you, whether it's meditating, going for a walk, daydreaming, or simply doing nothing at all.
• Make a date with nature.
  Once a week, visit a park, a wildlife preserve, a lake, or whatever greenery is nearby. Walking among trees and grasses, watching wild geese fly overhead, or dipping your toes into a gently flowing brook is a wonderful way to calm your frazzled spirit.
• Live in the here and now.
  Constantly ruminating over last week's argument with your mother, or worrying about next week's meeting with your accountant diminishes what you should be experiencing right now, in the present. Try to think only about what's happening as it's happening. You'll feel a greater sense of satisfaction with life in general.
• Put yourself in a new "picture."
  In a convenient drawer at home or work, stash a postcard of a mountain range or a snapshot from last year's vacation in Paris--whatever appeals to you. When your mind is going at warp speed, pull out the picture and imagine yourself in it. Yes, that's you looking down from a cloud-enshrouded Colorado peak, or seated at that chic outdoor café on the Left Bank (with a really cute guy, no less). By transporting yourself for a few minutes, you'll automatically relax and give your spirit a needed breath of fresh air.

So start today to stop racing through your life. You'll quickly begin to appreciate the physical and emotional advantages of living at a pace that allows you to slow down long enough to sniff, admire, and really enjoy those beautiful roses.

Source: Rebus Publishing, NYC Reviewed by: David Edelberg, M.D., Senior Clinician and Founder of WholeHealth Chicago and Assistant Professor at Rush Medical College, Chicago.

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