With our lives being busier than ever it can seem almost impossible to slow down and enjoy life. Chances are you don’t even know where to begin, if you are anything like I was. My life had me traveling all over for work, my to-do list had things added to it quicker than I could check things off, and I felt like I had no time to breathe.
To say the least, I was in need of a change. I was feeling burned out, I was unfulfilled and I felt like my life was passing me by.
These are the things that I did to slow down, be more present, and enjoy my life more. It is my hope that if you are feeling the way I use to that these things can also help you. I believe we all deserve to live high quality lives at have balance and leave us feeling fulfilled.
Spend Time Outside
There is something so wonderful about being outside and in nature. Adding fresh air to your day will also help you feel revitalized.
Try going on a walk at lunch time. This will help break up your day and give you an energy boost for the rest of your day. You can also do this after dinner or as part of your evening routine.
Spending time outside gives you the opportunity to connect to yourself and the environment you live in. It also gives you an opportunity to relax and reflect on how your day is going and to be grateful for the amazing planet that you call home.
There are also tons of negative ions in nature, which are believed to relieve stress, help combat depression, and increase our energy. So, if you are feeling down, stressed, our tired just pop outside for a quick boost!
Cut Back on The Time You Spend on TV & Social Media
This is a great way to get your time back!
If you are feeling like you don’t have enough time for all of the things you want to get done or you feel like you don’t have enough time to do the things that make you happy, I highly suggest taking a look at how much time you spend on all of your social media apps and how much time you spend watching TV.
Maybe you are thinking, “Hey I don’t spend that much time on Social Media!” but my guess is you are spending more time on it than you think you are. Its pretty easy to check the time you are spending on each app on your phone.
All you have to do on an iPhone or iPad is go into your settings, click battery and scroll down to battery usage. From there it will show you what you are spending the most time on. This way you will actually be able to see how much time you are really spending.
For awhile when I first started implementing this I cut out all TV time. I actually got rid of TV all together. You don’t need to take such extreme measures unless you feel called to do so. Even cutting out a few hours here and there will help you have more time for other more meaningful activities.
As far as social media goes I do my best to be intentional with my use. I make sure that I am aware of what I am using it for and that I am not just mindlessly scrolling through timeline feeds. If I am on a social media platform I make sure that I am creating content, engaging with the people who engage with what I post, and I am using it as an amazing tool to connect to like minded people, instead of using it as a way to kill time.
I know that doing these things have had a large impact on being able to slow down and really enjoy my life and my work. I have seen it also work wonders for others. I am sure that it can produce similar results for you if you are consistent.
Give Yourself More Time
When you give yourself an extra 15 minutes or even just 5 more minutes to get where you need to be you significantly reduce your stress.
Think back to the last time you were running late. Didn’t it seem like everyone on the road was going too slow. That everything, was frustrating and it felt like, you would never get there.
Now think about the last time you were not in a rush, and had plenty of time to get to your destination. It was a much less stressful experience, wasn’t it. It is totally possible for the second version to be your everyday reality.
All you have to do is give yourself a little extra time. Start putting this into practice by setting your alarm 5 to 15 minutes earlier to give yourself a jump on your day.
Start Your Day Intentionally
Dont start the day on the computer or your phone. If you are anything like I use to be, one of the first things I did after waking up was hop on my computer to check my emails then shortly after I would check my phone and social media apps. Starting your morning out this way can quickly throw your whole day off.
Instead create an intentional morning routine and dont get sucked into the email & social media rabbit hole. I know it has done wonders for my mornings and I am sure it will do the same for you.
Make Time For Just You
There is nothing worse than feeling burnt out and exhausted all the time. It takes the joy right out of life. This is exactly what happens when we dont make time for self-care.
We burn the candle at both ends and don’t make time to replenish, relax, and refuel ourselves. Making time for self-care doesn’t have to be extravagant. It can be as simple as giving yourself 15 minutes to sit outside in nature or listening to a 5 minute guided meditation.
It is your self-care so you get to decide what works best for you. There is no right or wrong way to practice self-care. make it your own.
Make Time For The People Who Mean The Most To You
It is so important to make time for relationships that matter. Our relationships are some of the most rewarding and meaningful things we can have in our lives. They can help us feel less alone, help us feel supported, and they can bring us unsurpassed joy.
Making time to spend time with the people who mean the most to you will always be time well spent. Leaving you feeling happier and more fulfilled.
Schedule in time with the people in your life who mean the most to you. Try to spend quality time with them doing things that you love. If possible turn off your phone so you are not distracted and can give whoever you are with your undivided attention. Quality time spent with those you love will truly help you enjoy your life more.
Prioritize and Schedule Daily Tasks
For a long time, I operated on the idea of just seeing where the day took me. While this is just fine for days off, I found it was not so great for the days I had work to do. I would find myself looking at the clock at 5pm and wondering where my day had gone. Maybe you can relate?
When I started planning my days and prioritizing my to-do lists I was shocked at how much more I actually could get done in a day. it was amazing!
Prioritizing and creating a schedule kept me on task, it gave me more structure, and it allowed me to be much more productive. I am now a firm believer in the power of prioritizing and scheduling because it has allowed me to slow down and enjoy more of my life. It has also helped me to have more balance in my life as well.
Experiment with different scheduling tools to find out what works best for you. Maybe you love apps and don’t want to carry around anything else to keep yourself organized. Or maybe you are like me and there is just something about having things written down on paper that works for you. Either way is great, its all about finding what works for you and sticking with it.
Start a Meditation Practice
Having a regular and consistent meditation practice is a total game changer. It can set your whole day up for success, it can also help you reset during a stressful time, it can even help lessen anxiety.
Adding meditation to my routine helps me to fall asleep faster, it helps me let go of things more quickly, it helps me to be present in the moment, it helps me focus, and it has helped to increase my self-awareness. There is a reason that meditation is an entire limb of the 8 limb practice of yoga.
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of starting a meditation practice, it doesn’t mean that you have to sit in silence and have an empty mind, there are many different kinds of meditation.
Some of my favorite types of meditation for beginners are:
Mantra Meditation: This is meditation where you repeat a word or phrase continually, silently to yourself. It is a great type of meditation to start with because it keeps your mind focused on the mantra and keeps it from wandering. I love to do this type of meditation with affirmations as well.
Mindfulness Meditation: In this type of meditation you focus on being present in the moment. Focusing on the flow of your breath, noticing the noises that you hear, noticing your thoughts and emotions come and go with out judgement.
Guided Meditation: This is where you are guided through a meditation by a teacher. Often guided meditations have specific topics and goals associated with them. I love having guided meditations as part of my meditation practice. I choose ones that are aligned and will help me reach my goals and support the mindsets I am working to develop.
I hope these 8 tips can help you slow down and enjoy your life more.
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