Learning to Live Slowly
Oct 09, 2022
|
Slow living to me means living fully in the moment. Being present. Being intentional with my time. Staying grounded. Using the time that God has given me wisely. Not living in a state of rush and exhaustion, but having a sense of fullness, rest, and peace. Anxiety is nothing new for me. I have struggled with it most of my life. I prayed for years that God would take it away from me, but over the years I have learned that most of it was caused by my own choices that I was making. When I overbook my schedule, spend too much time scrolling through social media, or just fill my mind with things that have no value; I find myself exhausted, rushed, and short tempered. I don’t know about you, but I only have a certain amount of mental energy each day, and I want to use it wisely. Here are five practical ways that I turn to when I need to slow down my rhythm of life. I hope they help you too! 1. Evaluate your time and calendar. Look to see if you have overcommitted yourself. Ask yourself if you can take something off that is not a priority to you. 2. Brain dump. This is a great way to clear your head. Take out a piece of paper and write out everything in your head that you can think of. From there you can cross things off or make to-do lists. Most times, I will pray over these people or things that have come to my mind. I also use this time to give all my worries to God. I use this as part of my time with Him. 3. Take a SLOW walk. I will literally just walk very slow. This resets my body and mind and reminds myself that I don’t have to go fast. Most times I have no reason for rushing in the first place. 4. MONO-task. This is my favorite. When was the last time you did dishes or laundry slow? It is our instinct to hurry up and do it so we can check if off our list or so we can do something else. Try to move slowly and enjoy doing the task. Pray over the dishes and laundry. Thank God for providing the food, clothes, and people who make them all dirty. 5. Take a break from social media or technology. As I am writing this, I am currently on a weeklong fast from social media. I know there are good things that come from social media, but the bad can also come with it. How do you know if you need a break? Choose a day and tally up the number of times you reach for your phone to check your social media, messages or calls. You will probably be shocked at the results. From there you can determine you are comfortable with the results or if you need a reset. 6. Give yourself grace. Remember that we are not supposed to do everything perfectly or on our own strength!! If this were true, we would not need Jesus!
A past journal entry of mine: This fast world never stops. Like a tornado, it continues to spin. I am dizzy and overwhelmed. I don’t know who I am. Is this how I want to live? Absolutely not. Be intentional and stop. Breathe. Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin. The notifications never end. There is always someone or something needing your attention. Social media tells us “what we need”, “what we want” or “what to do”. Another notification goes off and it's time for the next thing. How did we get like this? Get TO this? Be intentional and stop. Breathe. Feel the breeze in your hair. Clouded mind. Brain fog. So many thoughts. So many ideas. Questions. More information to search for. To-do lists to check off. I can barely breathe or see what is in front of me. Be intentional and stop. Listen to the birds chirp and watch them live as they are given everything they need to survive. Instant gratification is what we crave. We are addicted. When will we ever be happy and content? There is always more to want, more money to make. If we continue to set our eyes on this, then we will never be satisfied. True joy will never come. We are called to live IN the world but not OF the world. I know who I am. My security and identity are found in Christ! It is only He who can give us what we are looking for: true rest, contentment, and peace. Therefore, I am in control of the time that He has given me. How will I use it? How will I spend it? Will I choose to live slowly and enjoy it? Or choose to move fast and miss it. The NOW is what we really want. What we really crave. The joy in the little moments. The eyelashes of a baby, sweet milk breath, tiny hands washing under sudsy water, a slow picnic outside, small hands on piano keys. I don’t want to go fast. I don't want to breathe shallowly. I want to live slowly. I want to take in oxygen rich deep breaths that are good for my body and soul.
Psalm 40:2 “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” Psalm 23:2-3 “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul…” Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything , but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. “
by Katie Davis |
