These words are for you if you spend way too much time rushing just to get more things done.
Rushing to appointments. Rushing to drop the kids off at daycare or school. Rushing to a dinner date. Rushing to the grocery store. Rushing out of habit. Rushing for the sake of rushing. Rushing through life. (You can squeeze in one more thing, can't you?) That hurried, frantic feeling of rushing leaves me shaky and scattered. (Does it do that to you, too?)
And once you arrive at your destination, it’s easy to carry the energy of rushing with you.
Rushing takes a toll on well-being. So why do so many of us rush?
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I notice patterns of rushing in my life mostly from these two things:
Not allowing myself extra time to arrive at my destination
Saying yes to too many things, which leads to doing too many things
As a full-time working mom of young children, rushing is tough to avoid completely. It seems like there is always something more to do, somewhere else to be. The quick self-care practices below are great check-in points during moments of rushing to notice how you’re feeling and why. They may even help you to pause or slow down.
Become aware of your breath by watching it come in and out through your nostrils. Take some deeper inhales through your nose and exhales through your mouth.
Turn your attention to your body to feel where tension lingers. Then, with each exhale, consciously soften those areas.
Observe your inner voice. What’s it saying? Do you hear something kind like, “It’s OK. You’re going to make it on time”? Or do you hear, “Here we go again. You’re going to be late again”?
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” — Mahatma Gandhi
The point isn’t how fast you get somewhere and do something. It’s embracing and enjoying your life more, even in the busy moments.
My friend yoga has taught me to honor where I am right now, to take life at my own pace, and that it’s OK to just be. It’s why Savasana is the pose I recommend most often and the pose I linger in the longest in my own practice. My morning meditation has also become this little gift of self-care that helps me to just be—even when I know I have a busy day ahead of me. Yoga helps me prepare for the busy, rushed moments and helps me mindfully strategize how I can minimize them.
Whether I’m meditating during the quiet early morning hours or tuning into my breath during my commute, I know I can choose to not rush. Instead, I can choose to focus on breathing and being.
Practice It: Notice When You Rush
Observe the moments when you're rushing this week. Is there anything you can adjust to help you rush less tomorrow?