Slowing Down

The concept of slowness is often frowned upon. But I'd like to take a stand to say that this is exactly what we are all missing.

We all want to accomplish a lot of things fast so that we can move on to our next set of tasks. We think that we are highly productive human beings when we work fast, but then we miss out on a lot of things, we make mistakes, and we feel that the things we normally do are something we need to get over with.

I've thought of some slow habits that I want to develop more:

WALK SLOWLY

One rainy morning as I got down from the van and proceeded to walking to my office building (it's approximately a 10-15 minute walk from the bus stop), I had to force myself to walk slowly because the ground was wet and there were puddles of water. I had to avoid those puddles because I didn't want my shoes to get drenched and dirty. I had my eyes fixed on the ground for a while as I avoided those puddles; and it made me realize how slow I was going because everyone else was walking fast and not minding if they stepped on the puddles or not.

I enjoyed my time walking slowly compared to when I would adjust my pace accordingly to those who were walking around me. It also made me realize how it's easy to go along with the tension we feel in the morning when we are surrounded by it. When we're surrounded by people who are in a hurry, we tend to want to hurry up as well.

Nevermind that it took me around 20-25 minutes to get to where I needed to go; walking slowly allowed me to observe my surroundings a bit more and to go over my thoughts after having listened to a podcast while in the van. I feel that my walk to the office has been a worthwhile one.

EAT SLOWLY

During meals, I am guilty of focusing solely on my food and eating fast. I miss out on two things here, mainly: enjoying my food and having good conversations with the people I'm with.

Sometimes we don't have to fill the air with conversations while eating. It might be awkward for some, but in general I don't speak much while eating. But I figured that the conversation helps in forcing me to stop eating fast. While it's not completely necessary to share a conversation with someone you eat with, it makes eating even more enjoyable, no matter what you talk about.

LISTEN SLOWLY

Listening is more than just hearing what the person said. When you listen, you take mental notes of their expressions, their gestures, their talking speed, the intonation of their voice, and their eyes. This is how we listen to things that were not said.

It also helps in formulating well-thought responses. Listening elicits a proper reply, and that's how we make connections with everyone we have conversations with.

SPEND SLOWLY

I have become more mindful with my spending habits lately. Nowadays, I have to think twice and even thrice about the things I want to buy. I make sure that these are actually things that I need. Or if it's something that I really want, I try to put it off and have time to think if: a) I can use it for a long time b) practical c) an urgent need.

It's common to buy things impulsively or when the mood strikes, and it's surely tempting when you know you have the capacity to spend. But then it's still important to stay grounded, think of the future, and making the right investments.

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It's not easy to do things slowly especially if you are used to living a fast-paced life. For some, it's a discipline that is developed over time, because you are forcing yourself to stop and be mindful of your actions.

I'm not saying though to be deliberately slow and miss out on deadlines or end up being a hindrance to other people, but it's always good to just go on your pace and not feel pressured. It's also good to be aware of the timelines and making sure to allot enough time in our daily tasks.

Because when things take time, there is much to be learned and gained.

Which habits in mind would you like to do slowly this time around?

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