Stop me if you’ve been in this situation before:

You’re in the car. You’ve left your house later than you were supposed to. You have a meeting that starts in 25 minutes, but you’re actually 30 minutes away. That doesn’t include time to find a parking spot, and it certainly doesn’t include any traffic or red lights, for that matter.

And then it happens: traffic starts to slow down. To your dismay, the cars in front of you continue to lighten their pace until you are barely moving. “Come on!” you say to yourself out loud as you slam your hand against the wheel, all the while looking at the clock in your peripheral vision.

With the ring of the siren, the fate of your trip is sealed: there is an accident ahead of you. You have now officially gone from late to extremely, inexcusably late.

D*&n it!!!!

With no regard for the person or people (or animals) who may or may not be injured in the accident, you curse your way through the traffic, and honk at people who – the last time they checked – didn’t drive hover crafts and therefore couldn’t get out of your way (and unfortunately, your attempts to make yours into one – though impressive – were futile).

When you finally do make it to your meeting, you rush out of the car, slam the door (narrowly missing your thumb), run up to the building where your meeting is, curse the sweat that is now pouring down your face and soiling your shirt, and rush into the room with a burst.

Sound familiar?

Ok, maybe it wasn’t a meeting. And maybe it wasn’t traffic. Maybe it was getting to cocktails with friends. Maybe it was preparing dinner for your family, or getting packed for a trip, or getting ready for work.

Whatever it is, we are all guilty of rushing. Some of us more than others, to be sure, but nonetheless, we can all relate to feeling pressed for time and not always managing it properly.

And frankly, I’m guilty of it more often than I care to admit (or think is healthy).

When I catch myself rushing, I try to stop and take a few breaths. It usually helps, but I recently was made aware of another technique that has done wonders for me.

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine who I call the “body whisperer” (he practices Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Reiki, and a host of other modalities that lend to his creative title.). He is one of the most relaxed people I have ever met, so when he told me a story about how he was late one morning, rushing from his car to get to his first appointment, I was surprised. It was totally uncharacteristic. But the way he ended the story was typical of his calm nature.

He told me that when he is feeling rushed, or is running late for something, rather than rush the entire way to the meeting or appointment and bursting through the doors with a woosh, he makes a point of slowing down his pace for the last few steps before he enters the room. That way, he not only creates a calm energy for himself that he can carry throughout the rest of his day, but he also creates a calming effect on the person waiting to see him rather than the chaotic one who could have brought in with him.

And all it took was a few, slow, intentional steps.

Cue Chariots of Fire music! Break out your best slow motion moves!

I’ve since applied this advice to my own life, and I have to tell you, the results have been incredible. Whether I’m rushing to make dinner, to meet a deadline, or to get to a meeting, when I feel that anxiety in the pit of my stomach, I make a point to stop, slow down the pace, and proceed with intention.

And not only does this practice shift the energy and mood for both you and the people around you, it also has a calming effect on your autonomic nervous system (the system responsible for blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, sweating, and other things beyond our direct conscious control). Turns out, slowing down calms you down.

I especially like using this technique when I get home from work at night. After being in the car all day (I drive a lot), I’m in a rush to get home. I’m usually starving by the time I pull into the driveway, and know I have to start dinner ASAP if I want to eat anytime soon. Most of the time, I rush out of the car, trying to grab every single bag I have all at once (even if I have 17 bags of groceries). I rush through the door and feel anything but relaxed. I rush to the kitchen, rush to make dinner, and then end up rushing through eating it. It doesn’t feel good.

But since using my friend’s technique, I’ve made it a point to pull into the driveway and sit for a minute when I get home at night. Instead of rushing out of the car, I finish listening to whatever I was listening to, whether it was a song or an audio book. I take a few deep breaths. I gather my things calmly. I’ve stopped trying to take everything inside in one shot. Instead, I break it up into trips if necessary. I enjoy the fresh air as I go. By the time I get in the house, I’m calm.

So the next time you find yourself rushing around your house, rushing out of the house, rushing into a meeting, or rushing anywhere or way, do yourself a favor:

Stop. Slow down the pace. Move with intention, almost as if you’re moving in slow motion.

Walk – don’t run.

Savor the moments of your precious life. And ask yourself: what am I rushing for?

Love,

Lauren
xxx