We live in a fast paced culture. We know this. We also know we "should" slow down sometimes. You know, smell the roses and all. But we have things to do. We have errands to run, kids to raise, healing modalities to try. It's been said that if we don't listen to our body's whispers, then it will scream to get our attention. In other words, if we don't take time to rest when our bodies send small messages, then we will be forced to rest when louder messages- like migraines or flare days etc- will stop us in our tracks.
So, what if we chose to slow down and live more intentionally? What if we took such tender care of ourselves that our bodies no longer felt the need to scream to get our attention?
I'm not saying you have to quit your job and move to the beach so you can just lounge in a hammock between two palm trees for the rest of your days. I mean...while that sounds amazing... eventually, even that would become boring.
What I am saying is we can schedule more time for rest. Like, literally put it on your daily schedule. This can look like scheduling a 20 minute power nap. It could be choosing to soak in the tub for 30 minutes instead of just taking a 5 minute shower.
Maybe it's choosing mindfulness.
There will still be meals to cook, dishes to wash, weeds to pull, and kids to get to bed. Life doesn't stop, but we can choose to be more mindful while doing our daily tasks. Set aside an hour to cook even if the recipe should only take 20 minutes. The trendy term for this idea is "romanticizing your life".
Clean the kitchen counter, light a candle, turn on some music, measure out all of your ingredients and place them in little bowls. Get everything ready. Print off the recipe so you won't need your phone, or use an actual cook book! Slowly follow the recipe, stirring and noticing the smells and textures. Really enjoy the process. It will take longer, but it will be worth it. You don't have to do this for every meal, of course, but maybe try it once a week and see how it feels to slow down. I'll share some breakdowns of other ways to slow down and be more mindful in different tasks in separate posts because I like to keep my blog posts short and not overwhelming. It's my little way of helping you take small steps...while learning in small bites too.