Summer Slowdown

Who needs permission to slow down?  Why do we do this to ourselves - exist in this crazy busy "go, go, go" and "do, do, do" society! 

We are the human equivalent of smartphones. When our low battery light comes on, we still have 20% power and we are going to use every bit of it until we hit the wall. Hopefully we are not hitting the wall in the middle of an important meeting or talk.

Why are we so busy, or feel so busy? Do you feel “pressed for time”? Or do you find yourself saying “there’s not enough time in a day”? Do you wear busyness as a badge of honor? Does it show importance or self-worth in our fast-paced society? Maybe it feels like job security. Or could it be because we feel connected 24/7 in our digital age? Are we being busy to escape tough life questions?

If your light is dimming, you feel drained or stressed out, read on sister. It’s summertime. Time to give our heart, brain and metabolism a rest.

There is so much going on right now in the world. Give your brain time to process. Slow down long enough to decide how you feel about what is going on.

Do you need to rethink what you are feeding your body? Does it need a rest to repair inflamed tissue? Do you need to pay attention and not allow late night ice cream runs to rule your life?
What about our hearts and our emotions – are you carefully making decisions?

How we spend our time is a choice. I have noticed the shift from buying things (having it all) to experiences (do it all) packing our calendars with social events that can be highlights on social media feeds.

• What if we take this summer and make a few shifts?
• What can you plug yourself into as an outlet to recharge?

May I make a suggestion? How about sleep? Sleep is so important for mental and physical health. Get your fingers off the keyboards, take a deep breath and walk around the block. Then rest. Take a nap. Get to bed a little earlier. Stop the binge watching that starting during the pandemic.

Having a regular schedule with eating and exercise and honoring your downtime will make such a difference with your battery. Summer is such a beautiful time to slow down. Stand outside and talk to neighbors. Walk slower if you want to. Allow meals to last longer. Soak in the sun, wind and rain.

What goes down must come up. After you plug in you can go back to your go go go lifestyle with energy. Or maybe you will enjoy more of the downtime and realize how much it helps you recharge.

The bottom line is that we need to replenish our daily cycle. Sometimes I wonder why I get up at the same time, have a morning routine, workout before starting my day. It allows me to move mountains. Schedules of healthy habits will do that for you.

What will you do to recharge? What outlet do you plug into?

Feel free to email and share it with me. Here’s to a glorious fun filled summer with plenty of battery to live life to the fullest.