Slowing Down in Life, but Still Being Productive

What if embracing slow living doesn’t mean you have to let go of your ambitions and that you can slow down your pace in life, but still feel like you’ve accomplished enough at the end of each day? Let's talk about how to structure a slower, more intentional life without losing the drive to accomplish the things that matter to you.

Lately I’ve begun to realize that there’s a fine line between slowing down, exiting the hustle culture and letting yourself become a bit apathetic or losing momentum toward the things you care about–whether that is a small business that you have started or simply taking really good care of your health. 

In reading comments on my YouTube videos and in talking to friends that have recently retired, I realize that I am not alone in this challenge to finding that ideal balance between being really present for your life and feeling productive at the same time. Most of us really want to truly enjoy our lives and yet at the same time we want to feel like we are doing worthwhile things. 

Let's walk through four areas of life focus and activities within each to help you find your own ideal balance. I’ll share with you the key practices I’m finding that are helping me make sure that I feel really good about this slower lifestyle that I have created for myself. It is my hope that you will find these suggestions helpful to consider for your own life as well. 

Wellness

When I think about core areas of life that it really makes sense to slow down for, wellness is one of those focus areas. We all want to feel good, and we all know that to do this you have to take care of your body and mind. They both need to be maintained.

The problem is, that for many of us, this is often where we try to cut corners in our life–I certainly did for years. I had to intentionally restructure, simplify and organize my life in a way that has allowed me to do all the things that I feel are wise to do to maintain my health. While I do spend quite a bit of time on activities that benefit my health, I do find that when I’m feeling good, I have the energy and the motivation to tackle other projects as well. This really helps when seeking that ideal balance between slowing down to be present in your life and being productive at the same time.

I had a conversation just the other day during an acupuncture treatment that underscored the importance of spending time on maintaining your health and why it seems to take more time as we age. The acupuncturist explained that in traditional Chinese medicine it's believed that by the time you're 35 years old, your capacity for turning things such as the food that you consume into bone tissue cells, etc., goes down by 50% of the capacity you had for this when you were born. Sadly, after that, it quickly decreases even further. So unless you want to end up feeling lousy as you age, this is one core area of life I really believe is worth slowing down for so that you can actually dedicate the time you need to keep yourself strong and healthy.

My Nonnegotiable Wellness Practices

I’ll share with you a few of my nonnegotiable for when it comes to wellness, but before I do, if you are inspired to add any of these to your routines, I would just suggest picking only one or two at the most to start out. You’ll be much more likely to make them a habit that way.

Every morning I take a little time to meditate. I can’t say I particularly enjoy it and I don't do it for long–usually, only 7 to 10 minutes, but it is a wonderful way of helping you start your day with a calm, focused state of mind. It is scientifically proven that there are a whole host of amazing benefits from just a short period of meditation each day. In addition, I can say that I haven't talked to anyone that has done it consistently for a period of time that hasn't also told me that it hasn't made a difference.

After that, I do a few rounds of alternate nostril breathing. This particular technique is believed to calm the nervous system and can help to balance hormones. At the same time I'm doing this, I also do some Kegel exercises at the same time. I find this is a great time to do these, otherwise I most likely won't carve out the time to do them later in the day. And unless you want to risk suffering from incontinence at some point in your life, these muscles need a workout too. Side note, that while these are often thought of as a women’s exercise, they can benefit men too.

The other thing I do daily is to get outside early in the morning for my circadian rhythm. There is so much research recently on how beneficial this is as well and if the sun is shining, you can get the benefit in as little as 5 minutes. Sometimes I  take my hot drink outside on our front steps and sip and watch the sunrise. Or maybe I’ll  journal for a few minutes if it is a nice morning.

I also strive to include some type of exercise or movement daily. Many people struggle with this, and I have too over the years, but, moving your body in multiple ways to keep everything working as your age is so important. If you've found this difficult, try to find something you can enjoy. Walking is one of the best exercises you can get and it’s so easy, plus you get the benefits of nature - looking at the trees, listening to the birds, etc. All this is very calming to your nervous system. I walk pretty much every day, regardless of whether I am going to the gym or working with my personal trainer.

Do Something You DON'T Want To Do

This suggestion might surprise you, but I challenge you to do something you don't want to do each day. There is one portion of your brain (your anterior cingulate cortex) that you'll be working out when you do this. If you work this muscle in your brain every day, it will increase your resilience and your level of motivation.

When you slow down your pace in life, particularly if you slow it quite a lot, you may worry that you won’t have the inner drive to accomplish much any more. This will help you keep your drive. One of the things I do every day that I don't like to do is finish up my shower with sixty seconds of cold water. I love a good hot shower, so I have to really psych myself up each day to do this. Recent research shows this to can benefit your health in a number of ways. 

So maybe you don't want to take a cold shower every day, what else can you do? Maybe you stretch in a way that is good for you yet you really don't enjoy. Or push yourself to try new things–things that make you feel uncomfortable, maybe even a little bit scared.  

Schedule Projects

When you are practicing a slower lifestyle, you may find yourself wanting to procrastinate a bit more than you would like. To counter this tendency, I think it is helpful to have projects in your life that you schedule time to work on regularly. If you don’t schedule the time, you’ll be more likely to put off working on the things you want to accomplish. 

You want to choose projects that have you building, growing or creating something. Choose something that give you the ability to express your creativity. There are countless projects you could undertake–creating a flower garden, refurbishing a piece of furniture, starting a side business. Follow your curiosity. If you have trouble choosing projects for your life, you may want to check out my guide to creating your Dream Bucket List.

Nurturing Relationships

The last area of focus that I really feel is worth slowing down for is to nurture your relationships. We are social creatures and it feels so good to genuinely connect with other humans.

When seeking to find balance in this area of focus, include yourself in your scope of relationships. Continually practice being a better listener both for others as well as yourself. This has probably been one of the most rewarding areas of slowing down my pace in life for me.

My mother told me that my daughter mentioned to her the other day what a difference she noticed in our last visit together. She felt my ability to really be there and not thinking about what I needed to try to get done in other areas of my life. I really hope that you too are able to experience this in your own relationships. It is a priceless gift that you can give yourself.