How To Slow Down?

How to slow down, simplify & enjoy life more - These are some simple ways you can work on slowing down so you can enjoy your life more. Whenever you’re feeling rushed, overly busy, or simply overwhelmed, try some of these tips to help you slow down, calm down, and feel more content! What is your favorite way to slow down? More than meditations, I aim for mindfulness practices throughout the day so I can with my mind and soul together and that helps to calm the process.

Transcript

Hi beautiful souls.

Welcome to Life is Magical podcast.

This is your host Sreevanju Katragadau.

Hope you're all doing well and happy June.

Isn't it amazing?

The time is just going fast and the topic today I'm getting to you is slowing down and how to slow down.

Would you believe it's already past six months and we are into the summer and how are you guys keeping up?

I'm finding it way too fast and a lot of things to catch up and there were many things that I'm trying to bring into this podcast.

Sharing the things that are helping me to actually slow down calm and implement it and take my own pace rather than to the pace of what the world requires from me.

Hopefully some of the nuggets are useful and beneficial and as usual I love hearing from you.

And if you're finding these podcasts to be beneficial,

Uplifting,

Please don't forget to leave a review as it might benefit others and please,

Please do share with your friends,

Family and let them know that you have been listening to this wonderful podcast.

And if there is a topic that you would like me to cover and please email me.

In the show notes you got my email info at Sreevanju.

Com So I can now bring to you.

So slowing down,

What does that even mean to you?

That's the first thing.

Think about it.

What does it mean to you?

Like,

You know,

Does it mean like leaving everything and just doing nothing or the things that you're doing,

Doing one at a time?

What does that mean?

There is no right or wrong.

It's just that you need to sense what does these things mean to you?

For me,

Slowing down is not to get tired,

Not to be consumed by the fast paced demands that I'm putting on myself by the external factors.

Slowing down for me is an internal process that I need to be listening to my own feelings,

My own gut and that's the most important thing for me.

Slowing down is about.

So slowing down,

I have been doing this for the past 12 years through mindfulness meditations.

For me,

I love meditations and mindfulness based practice is much more intense for me as it's breaking down throughout the time in the day.

And rather than one hour of just sitting and meditating,

Mindfulness is telling me like,

Hey,

Have I checked in myself?

How am I doing?

Have I checked in with my thoughts or where am I?

Like,

You know,

Am I breathing?

What color socks did I wear or did I brush my teeth?

Like,

You know,

Every part of my day,

Like I'm trying to be aware and do practice it with consciousness and that is what slow down is.

Some days,

Some hours in the day,

I'm not,

Which I can even totally relate to if you are as well with me.

The time goes so fast and then I realize,

Oh my God,

Where has the day gone by?

Did I do what I'm supposed to do?

And do I even recollect the memory of doing something?

Do you remember like,

You know,

Your last supper,

What did you eat?

You take time to think about it,

Right?

Because some part of it,

We haven't been with the process and that's the reason our memory didn't register a note of it.

But if you think about when we were younger,

We were very much with our process of remembering things like,

Yeah,

As a kid,

Generally the kids remember things much clearly with the description of all their senses being active just because they are with the process and nothing was like,

You know,

Taking them away from it.

Yeah.

So I try to aim for mindfulness practices throughout the day so I can be with my mind and so together and that helps me to calm the process.

And if you can remember like,

You know,

End of the day,

Did you sip your coffee or did you just calm it down?

Or I remember like,

You know,

Whom did you have a conversation with?

Like the last phone call,

What was it about?

Do you remember?

And remembering what your body wants it to have you notice your body is more thirsty recently like,

You know,

Or have you been feeling overwhelmed like emotions are the other thing as well.

And slowing down could be super hard sometimes because we always have so much to do and the brain is trained to run constantly and especially school year finishing up and a lot of things like,

You know,

Replanning ourselves how to plan around the children for the summer,

What to do,

What to expect and everything.

There is a lot of planning,

Replanning mid year is happening.

So this could be a good reminder to practice this or implement it.

So we are doing with our family members rather than on our own and feeling left out here.

And definitely like,

You know,

Sometimes my meditation could be challenging as well as a process of it,

Because I just want to finish the meditation but actually I'm not after meditation I'm not sitting with it,

Sensing the feeling and expanding into that consciousness.

Yeah.

What I noticed by slowing down being conscious about it over the time is I'm more relaxed and more content,

I'm able to address my emotions,

Connect to my body,

My soul,

The demands I'm putting onto it,

And being super productive as well even though the pace is slow,

But super productive.

Yeah,

The more flow of the creative ideas as well has been coming up.

So I'm going to share a few of the tools that I try to practice and share it along with you so you can practice it as well.

So to do slow down the couple of basic things is understanding why is it a need for us.

And what is our aim out of it.

Are we feeling overwhelmed fast paced,

Or would you like to accommodate a new habit into your system,

Or you just want to have a more balanced of what you're doing and enjoying your life as well.

So slowing down to enjoy life will be the most important thing,

Because we would be with that overwhelm will be rushing from one task to other,

And not being with anything at all like you know,

It's like having all the things to be learned,

But actually you don't become a master of any right.

And when you intentionally slow down your life your days like you're more present,

You're mindful of it your days as well and even better that you're not feeling the pressure on yourself.

Yeah,

You're not struggling.

And you're just be in that moment.

And definitely a lot of people say like hey I like to be busy and busy gives me much more connectedness,

And I can function better.

Definitely for me deadlines work as well like you know if I know what I need to accomplish and having a list of things I do function better.

I guess that is why corporate work career being a project manager.

I was being so used to it functioning that way.

And that is our masculine drive force and getting getting getting go go go.

But now slowing down is connecting to our feminine aspect of it just like you need to hold the baby for nine months before we give birth,

That is a feminine energy to rest recharge and feel be with the process and then give birth like you know give birth to new ideas give birth to new creative flow like you know give birth to new chances hopes in our life like yeah.

And that is the most important thing yeah,

Keeping it simple.

First thing first,

Keep it simple to yourself like you know,

Don't be putting too much pressure on you that you have to learn this art of slowing down right in a day.

It did take me a few months before I could go back and look into the quality of life that I have slowed down like you know,

Since I have practiced mindfulness that now I say there is a good side effect which is like my life has completely slowed down.

I would be taking like half an hour to get ready rather than 15 minutes as I used to do before,

Because I kind of have like been with the process of it like you know getting ready.

And that's the most important thing.

So for me like being grounded is the most important thing there is so much that happens in our mind.

A lot of things get jammed clustered up.

So slowing down is like being grounded.

The first and primary important thing yeah.

Feel your feet.

Feel your feet to the shoe socks.

And the second and better is to walk bare feet on the grass or on the wooden floor so you are actually being in the sense of it to slow down.

When you feel that tough feet touching the floor some people like it some don't like it.

But you are understanding,

All right,

Okay,

This is uncomfortable for me or this is comfortable for me or I'm actually doing it I didn't even realize it,

You know,

And this helps us to calm and the pressure the heaviness in the head the spin is all coming into your body,

Into your feet into your toes and this way it's helping better memories,

Having a better memory better boosting of immunity,

Less stress less anxiety and you know what the best thing is you sleep better.

So even if you go for a walk generally if you have a dog you take the dog for a walk.

Make sure you are slowing down and stopping by and smelling those roses and that is a so important thing.

Just like the dog smells every part on the walk like you know that does annoy some people.

When I do just do the gazing on to my people in the neighborhoods that the dog walks like you know it does it does annoy them they pull the dog.

But actually,

The dogs are doing great like right,

Being in that moment when they're out like you know taking a fresh breath air.

So don't forget to take the fresh breath air.

That's the most important thing when you're out about the nature.

Yeah.

And slowing down you're doing this to rise up remember you're doing it as a recharge,

Re-shut,

Reboot your system.

So when you reboot your phone or your laptop,

You can't use the functionality so on it right you have to let it cool and come back alive again right the same thing you're doing to your body as well.

When you are in that moment,

Don't let any other thoughts come in even if they come in.

Tell them,

Hey I got to do this,

And this is my priority and I'll come back to you in a moment when I'm done with this thought,

With this thought or with this experience of walking in the nature that I am with.

So the more you give the permission,

The more you are able to hold it up.

Yeah.

So that's the most important thing.

Turning our phones off is another thing that's so important when you're in the process because the phones that we are living with have been very much close to us and have right more than any other human in our life,

Because we are spending more times with our phones than any other physical human.

It's just that we are connected and so much is reachable,

So much knowledge is in the phones for the good purposes of it,

But also there is an addictive nature to it.

Yeah,

Where you are so used to scrolling.

I'm so used to scrolling on my Instagram,

I love it,

But like you know sometimes I don't even listen to you,

What the message there is or read what the message is.

Like if something doesn't catch my eye within few seconds,

I'm just moving away from it.

Yeah.

So that is how we are becoming.

Be set an alarm,

Set a timer as you go onto your Instagram or on your social media or on your phone and say like after 10 minutes you're going to switch it off,

But after 10 minutes like you know think about what did I go,

What did I do,

What was my purpose there being there and have I done what I'm supposed to do and come out of it.

Yeah.

So that is the so important thing.

Being connected and being plugged in with our intention.

And of course this is great that you're reachable,

You are there,

Available for others,

But also having those boundaries when are you available,

When are you with your family,

With yourself,

Doing your own stuff is so important as well.

You don't need to put demands as trying to be there for others.

You can have some boundaries about like hey this is my time and this is the time that I'm going to answer your text or phone or any messages as well.

The rest of the time I need some privacy,

I need my own space as well.

By that you are slowing down so you're not with all the demands that are being placed over you.

Yeah.

So that is again like the number one rule that you're going to do for yourself.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

We love technologies,

But there is a caution.

With care and with some value that you're putting onto it is so important.

Yeah.

Just like walking breath is the another factor to be slowing down.

I always would advise to anyone is put a reminder on your phone or have post takes or sticky notes around.

So you are being told to remind about your breathing.

You either can do it by placing your hands on your belly and on your chest and take a deep breath or without that as well.

Like you know be conscious about your breath breath in and out and even doing three to five times you just calm down everything everything that's in your head is like you know just getting into your belly and you have a better way to cope better way with ideas better way to move forward in life as well.

Yeah.

So you must be watching that out.

Yeah.

There is this beautiful way like,

You know,

Slow down to rise up here.

The plane is coming at a beautiful speed.

It has to slow down to land right.

If not,

It's going to be a chaotic just like that.

You know,

We have to slow down before we can be super productive as well.

Some people do the cat naps.

It's great because they are like a recharge portals.

And after you have done that you become much more around in 10 you you are more productive with your things and then bingo like your day goes by so well,

And if you're not getting some cat nap times breath work is great like that just simple breath is going to help you as well here.

For me,

I do start my day by slowing down is first thing in the morning is I don't rush in once my alarm goes off.

I do a couple of morning rituals while I'm still in the bed is practice Reiki set my intentions for the day take deep breaths,

And then three things that I'm grateful for and then the feet on the ground.

Yeah,

Feel the energies and do a little stretch before I do go for the duties that I'm meant to be doing as a mother first thing in the morning.

So with that,

Like I'm setting some my lines for me.

I'm setting a tone for myself and that is my intention to be slow,

Not to be in a rush.

No matter who is going to rush me.

I'm still being in my own pace before I wasn't doing that.

I was just getting out of the bed Russia rush,

And my heart will be palpating I would be like you know anxious throughout the time,

Because I have started my day in the same note.

So whatever you start your note with in the morning is what you're going to be holding on for the rest of the day.

So,

Choice is yours,

Why not start with a slowing down Yeah,

A little slower.

That's all you need to be doing here.

And for that,

Of course,

Slowing down doing those morning rituals means I had to wake up or use my snooze time 10 minutes prior like you know,

So my snooze will be there in that snooze time is what I'll be doing these things.

Yeah,

So great.

I'm not a morning person,

But I'm utilizing my snooze time in a productive way so I'm again setting a tone for it.

There is a saying you must crawl before you walk.

Have you heard that I'm sure you would have.

And so in that crawling is that slowing down phase,

And this has been there for ages right it's not a new thing that came up.

I'm sure your parents use it on you and their parents have used on them as well.

So literally that's a concept here that we are talking,

You must crawl before you walk.

So only then you'd be able to be better holding yourself up here.

So with that,

Start your day is slowing down,

And you,

You will be able to turn the noises the inner noises in your life off,

And just you're going to be listening to your intuition into your gut.

That's the most important thing like you know your gut message here is what you will be connecting to.

And when you are going to be there is this practice in mindfulness that we do is listening.

Listen,

Like,

As like you know listening to yourself your gut is important,

But also the people around you are talking.

Sometimes we are so used to multitasking that we are not actually being with the person and listening to them,

Our own inner mind inner chaos is happening so much that we miss the things right.

So with slowing down,

You are actually being productive to listen and when you do it you only need to listen once,

Not a couple of times and asking them like can you repeat,

Or can you say it again.

You don't need to do that and you're actually saving time and you're having that empathy to connect to the heart to heart conversations and be a better reactive person around you.

So that will be the one thing,

Listening,

And then reacting to talk back,

But also like you know as mentioned,

When you,

The way you tone your wake up.

The way you tone your home also will define as are we slowing down.

Are we in the capacity to slow down or not.

Yeah.

So,

So if your home is cluttered.

If your home is more clustered around,

You wouldn't be able to look for things that you are wanting for,

Or you can't find it.

There is so much of that clarity missing in their process,

Because there is so much of a clutter.

So try to declutter,

At least your space that you live most of the time,

Either it could be the kitchen your bedroom or your meditation space.

Try with that and in that declutter is where you are allowing the path to be seen.

So you're able to walk with peace,

You're able to acknowledge everything that's around you in much easier way.

So definitely like you know,

Every piece that you are taking out is going to create more space for you more wider area that you can be more peaceful here.

So that is the most important thing.

And with that,

Like you know,

The brain is able to consume much more information and be more productive as well,

Because you are able to remember where your things are and take in charge of things.

And be more at use as well,

Rather than be more forgetful.

So give it a try like you know start with small things small area that you're exploring yourself to be more prioritized and productive as well.

So exploring that clear space is so important through either you can start by those things or the closet or like you know a shelf like it could be,

But like literally your brain detoxing as a,

As you do physically.

Another thing is like you know,

In mindfulness that we used to do is like I do with sticky note around in the house to remind me,

Five things you can see four things you can feel three things you can hear two things you can smell,

And one thing you can taste.

And by that reminder you're actually compacting yourself to be calming watching the process and recharging.

So five things you can see remember what the five things that you're seeing around right now in this space for things that you can feel what are you feeling what is the space that you're in right now,

As I'm talking through you can do this exercise with me.

Three things that you can hear what are the three things you're hearing two things you can smell.

What is that you can smell right now.

One thing you can taste.

So with that five habits,

You are totally pausing and trying to be aware,

All your senses active.

So what's happening,

You're slowing down there,

You were supposed to write a letter,

Mail to your boss,

But doing this,

You're slowing down and now you're reactive and your clarity of your email writing is intense and you're very onto the spot as well your priorities are clear as well.

And by that like you know you're doing one thing at a time not multitasking multitasking.

No matter who says what it always leaves us feel rushed frazzled and stressed as well like you know,

We don't even know if we have completed a task sometimes with the multitasking.

I know a lot of women they always complain on their husbands is wish my husband can multitask better,

And we feel so proud about it,

But actually it's not a great habit for us to have it as well in the first and foremost place like you know.

So here is the thing.

And at the end of the night as well I do have a ritual to slow down so you can sleep better.

So that's other difficulty a lot of youngsters even or children having a sleep issues.

The reason is like you know you can't sleep is because you have been so high high.

But so many things being done and when you're on the bed you can't because you're still your mind is racing.

It didn't know that it had to slow down and it still doesn't know that is for sleep,

Because we are taking our laptops our gadgets onto the bedroom as well so that ambience is not being there.

So what you can do is before your bedtime,

Relax detox from all the gadgets,

Get into your breathing glitter jar is a great thing.

Prepare a glitter jar and have it so you're watching your glitter jar.

So that way you are taking away from the distractions and connecting back to yourself.

So imagine you're plugging yourself direct to the ground,

Direct to the main portals and that way you are slowing down your on a reboot and if you train your mind.

Cheatingly for next few days,

You'll sleep better as well.

Some people love to read for a few moments.

Try to be away from the gadgets though definitely like you know or move your body toward a gentle stretches or a meditation by simple ways.

That will help as well or a lavender fragrance or essential oil,

Oil burner or a salt bath.

So this will be helping us to slow down.

Getting some fresh air definitely like you know the breath of fresh air like helps us to like calm ourselves down.

Water helps us as well to slow down and calm down because as you're drinking,

The system is allowing us to be grounded as well.

So being good in the bed is great as gain like you know three things that you're grateful for remember that and that way you are recharging yourself you are moving ahead and much more intently.

So those are the ones that I wanted to share with you to slow down.

For me some of the other practices that I love slowing down with is with my tea ritual.

I love to drink tea like these days it has been roasty or chamomile like you know anything that suits or relaxes.

So I'm starting with the process of the tea to drink it consume and connect into my heart space and another favorite one is in case you haven't seen me talking about the cacao.

It's the chocolate cacao drink is the one that connects to my heart and it totally slows me down.

It grounds me opens up my creative portals.

I'm better holding my day with my clients my inner work as well and I write better.

So there are many advantages maybe actually I'll do another episode just on that.

So that is what my process is about.

Try consume something that gives you a slow release and consistent one rather than a spike like coffee or caffeine gives us a spike or a sugar stuff and then it drops down like you know.

Rather than that try to consume something it's consistently keeping you hold of it.

Including the foods that you consume as well.

So that will be the ones and the other one I also love the processes lighting up an incense,

Palo santo or lighting a candle and with the process of it.

But seeing the light light how it moves through doing a prayer or meditating chanting mantras and lighting my palo santo and noticing the smoke as well and sitting with the Oracle card journaling things as well or art is my other way to slow down.

As I was in the corporate work and that is my de come de stressor in the evening by doing a little art or a doodling and totally to unwind myself.

Yeah,

So you can choose your own ways some something that can be done simply by being you.

You don't need to rush but also tap into what did you like what do you like doing it and that's the most important thing to slow down into young.

So with that enjoy doing and slowing down let me know how you get on.

Hopefully you're going to take some practice and implement in your life to slow down.

So slowing down is your best benefit for a better health better creation better productivity and it's your new friend.

So get onto it grab and maybe hug a tree be crazy like you know spend more time with yourself.

That's the most important things.

If you have children watch them smile watch their creative plays like you know that to young babies watch them smile more like you know be more playful with them and you love how things slow down actually.

So yeah,

It's around you.

So if you have been listening to this point,

Please don't forget to leave a review or share with your friend.

Thank you so much guys and happy summer.

See you soon.