Does the thought of slowing down make you feel anxious or break out in hives? What if I told you that slowing down can actually alleviate these feelings? Do you think that slowing down will interrupt your momentum? In fact, it can give you a chance to regroup and refocus. Are you afraid that slowing down will force you to have time with your thoughts? Embracing this time can bring clarity and peace.

The thought of slowing down seems paradoxical compared to speeding up and what you think you should or could be doing. That’s the key. What do you believe you should or could be doing? Have you been conditioned to fill every moment of your day? Have you gotten caught up in society’s busyness?

Many people are caught up in the busyness of their lives and not nearly feeling as productive as they would like. The term “busyness” tends to carry different definitions for different people. For some individuals, busyness means being engrossed or focused on a particular task. For others, they may think that busyness is switching from 1 task to another. Researchers state that people focus on their priorities and not multitask to be productive.

Do you often find yourself worrying about not having enough time? This fear can be a powerful motivator but can also lead to a sense of overwhelm. Remembering that time is a resource we can manage, not a force beyond our control, is essential. Taking control of your time is not just a possibility, it’s an empowerment that can reduce these overwhelming feelings.

Charles Buxton said, “You will never have enough time for anything; if you want time, you must make it.”

In his book, The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level, Gay Hendricks introduces the concept of ‘Einstein time ‘. This idea challenges us to see time not as an external force but as a resource we create within ourselves. When we grasp this, we can break free from a victim mentality and take control of our time, using it to align with our priorities and values.

People often fall into a victim mentality when they feel a sense of lack, particularly a lack of time to do what they wish. However, when people take ownership of their time, they realize they can significantly reduce the time required to do what is essential to them. This shift in perspective can empower them to make the most of their time and achieve their goals.

Hendricks challenges us to change our relationship with time by not complaining about the amount of time we have. Pay attention to how many times you catch yourself saying things like:

• “I wish I had more time to…”
• “Where did the time go?’
• “I would love to chat, but…”

Is it about not having the time or that the topic is not at the top of your priority list?

How does this relate to slowing down?

Thinking Time

Slowing down allows you to think about what you think about. It’s a chance to step back, gain perspective, and reevaluate. When you get caught up in the busyness of life, you run on autopilot without even examining where your thoughts and beliefs come from. Slowing down can change that.

Slowing down allows you to reflect on where you are spending your time and whether you are allotting it to your priorities and goals, giving away your time to please others, avoiding conflict, or feeling obligated.

Insights and Solutions

The process of slowing things down provides an opportunity for insight and creative solutions. Think about it: the brain is constantly stimulated by the environment by our laptops, cell phones, radio, and conversations. When does it have time to think? When you give your brain some downtime, the most amazing insights surface.

This is why I love coaching. It allows me to help people slow down to examine their thoughts and gain insights they otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to capture. This exercise of slowing down helps them understand what could be holding them back and what actions are required to move forward with decisiveness and intention.

Depth of Conversations

Another concept I love about time is that allowing us or giving others time to think or express themselves before answering the question can lead to deeper conversations. I read about teachers giving students extra time to respond to a question in one study. The average expected response was one second or less, during which the teacher asked the following question: This was barely enough time for a student to articulate their thoughts. When teachers started to pause for up to three seconds or longer to allow a student to respond, the researchers noted that the number and kind of questions shifted to ones, asking for clarification and elaboration. The interesting thing to note here is that teachers expected students’ performance to improve.

Be More Present

Slowing down helps you to enjoy some of the smaller things in life that you might miss when you are going at full speed. Are you able to have a conversation with someone without thinking about what’s next or where you must be? When your mind is racing with ideas and subsequent actions, you sabotage your effectiveness. Allow yourself to be present wherever you are or with whoever you are with.

Slowing down can be as simple as pausing and giving yourself five to 10 minutes between meetings. It could look like some journaling time at the end of the day. Slowing down could mean savoring your coffee or tea in the morning as you sit and contemplate your day. Slowing down can also look like taking yourself on a mini retreat by walking in nature, visiting a local museum, or going away for a few days. This process allows you to connect with your priorities, become more decisive, generate new ideas, and be present with the most important people, places, and things.

Slowing down can accelerate your most extraordinary growth.