The Quiet Power of Slowing Down
By Deanna Freed, LMSW, CAADC
We live in a world that encourages & values busyness, speed & immediate gratification. Many may have heard the term “dopamine hit”. This term refers to a surge of the brain’s neurotransmitter, dopamine, which reinforces behavior in response to a stimulus, prompting us to repeat the same behavior(s). Faster responses, quicker results, instant updates, message alerts, immediate gratification, constant stimulation… all feed this dopamine reinforcement, but it’s temporary. We then need more & eventually it does not sustain. Some days may feel like a race we never agreed to run. When we combine over scheduled days with constant stimulation from phones, message alerts, emails, social media & 24-hour world newsflashes, while engaged in multiple other tasks simultaneously, we are on the path to exhaustion. We are not equipped to keep up this pace, at least not without breaks. Beneath the constant motion, many of us sense a quiet truth: we’re moving too fast & exposed to too much, to be present enough to fully experience our lives.
Slowing down isn’t laziness. It’s wisdom. We may initially experience feelings of emptiness, boredom & unproductiveness when it becomes quiet because our alerts have silenced & our pace has temporarily slowed. After all, productivity, achievement & multi-tasking, seem to be accomplished only by packing in as much as we can into our days, right? Not necessarily. Some studies suggest that the busier we become, the less efficient & productive we are. Slowing down and recharging, reclaiming our attention, our relationships and our inner peace is very important to our physical and mental health. The busier we keep ourselves, the more we may also avoid facing important or difficult life issues that need our attention. If we are on autopilot, we sacrifice the necessary self-reflection as well as connections with others, that can promote presence, direction and meaning in our day to day lives.
🌿 The Cost of Constant Hurry
When every moment is filled—scrolling, checking, emailing, responding, rushing—we lose the ability to notice life happening right in front of us. We are never fully present, which is where joy and living takes place, through connection and presence in the here and now. With constant stimulation, our bodies remain in a continual state of tension. Our problem-solving abilities & creativity suffer. Ongoing states of physical & emotional tension prompt the body to secrete hormones that are not supposed to be secreted constantly. Cortisol & adrenalin, fight/flight hormones flood the body when we are stressed. Chronic stress overstimulates these hormones which can have a negative impact on physical, mental & emotional health. When we’re always rushing, we stop being present to ourselves and the people we love. We become reactive instead of intentional. We skim through our days instead of experiencing the moments within the day, we check off things to do and are on to the next task. And the irony? The more we hurry, the less we experience.
🌿 Slowing Down Matters More Than Ever.
Slowing down and being present doesn’t happen automatically. It’s something we can develop- slowly, with intention. Consistency is the key. Even small shifts can make a big difference with regular practice. How do we accomplish this when we have too many daily responsibilities that we cannot eliminate. Can we actually do anything that will make a difference? Yes, even very small shifts matter. Just start small. Here are a few suggestions:
Every time you use the restroom, before you return to what you were doing, pair bathroom breaks with an opportunity to slow down your breathing and take 10 long, slow breaths, to reach a calm, slow breathing pattern. Check in with your body tension, soften & untense your muscles while you breathe. If you maintain this practice, eventually it can become more natural throughout the rest of the day, without requiring as much intentional effort.
Take a real lunch break instead of eating while answering emails, scrolling, texting, etc.
Leave your phone in another room for an hour.
Walk without headphones, experience silence, listen to the birds or the sounds around.
Pause, count backwards by 3’s from 100 in your head slowly before responding when feeling emotionally charged.
Do one thing at a time, just one. Finish it and then go on to the next.
Technology is incredible. It connects us, informs us, entertains us. But it also has a gravitational pull. Without boundaries, it consumes the very time and mental space we’re trying to protect. Taking intentional breaks from technology isn’t about rejecting it, it’s about remembering that your mind needs rest. Try starting your day by waiting at least 30 minutes before picking up your phone or take intentional breaks throughout the day by turning off some of your media alerts, or make efforts to wait a full hour in between each time you check your phone.
🌿 Slowing Down Helps You Actually Feel Your Life
When you slow your pace, something beautiful can happen; you start noticing again. This could be beginning to savor the warmth of your coffee, the sound of wind in the trees, the smell of a sweet aroma, the sound of your child’s voice, the softness of embracing your pet, the taste of your favorite food.
New ideas can surface when your mind has space to wander but we must allow the space which often feels unproductive and/or like boredom. “Boredom”, is just time & space that is not filled with activity, tasks & extraneous or internal ‘noise’. This space can promote creativity, inspiration, and coming back to yourself. A slower life is not lacking, it can be one of more depth, more memories, more joy when we slow down enough to be present. It will take practice and will feel uncomfortable at first if you’re used to constant stimulation & activity. We will never have this day back, will never be this old again, will never have the moment that we are in right now, ever again. You can begin right where you are, with the next breath, the next choice, the next moment of awareness, regardless of the state of our current messy, chaotic & overscheduled lives. Just slow down. Just a little. Just for today. And then, do it again tomorrow.
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