Knowing When To Slow Down

If you’re the type that is always on the go and never has time to rest or reset, then this post is for you. You are probably thinking to yourself that there is not enough time; you have so many things to do and vice versa.

However, I can assure you that this busyness is counterproductive. You were not made to keep pouring out and not pouring back into yourself.

So if you are guilty of having a busy life and thinking that it’s somehow normal, but yet deep down you’re constantly thinking of vacation time, weekends, or just a day to focus on yourself alone, then this is the final indicator that you need a season of slowing down.

If you don’t find the time to slow down and enjoy the one life that you have to live, then you will always be rushing through life until it comes crashing down on you.

So here are some ways to help you to identify the season that you’re in and to also make the needed changes in order to prevent burnout.

If ever you find yourself rushing through life with speed, it’s time to reset and realign with what having a good quality of life means. Please feel free to add to my list or ask your questions or concerns below. I would be happy to help you!

“I can’t be constantly pouring from an empty cup without it draining every bit of my energy until I’m only a figment of my imagination.”

Being Too Connected To The World

Busyness, if you haven’t noticed already, is worldly. Where do we get the constant reminders to get busy and get going, or you’ll be left behind?

The world sells us busyness as if it’s the best example of a well-lived life. I beg to differ. I do believe this emphasis on rushing through life and trying to get what you need before old age sets in is the most dysfunctional thing I have heard.

Rushing actually is counterproductive. Don’t expect life to always be kind to you, especially when you’re ready to retire. If you haven’t noticed, in the elderly population, the types of comorbid diseases are rampant.

Why is that? They live a rushed life. They were told to get everything while they were young and to keep going, no matter what. They believed the lies about getting everything. They, however, did not realize that getting everything all at once is costly.

So we spend all our younger years rushing through life until, in the older years, when we don’t have a choice but to slow down, we are met with diseases.

Where was the time of rest throughout all that rushing through life? It was never a priority. Life as we know it is supposed to be a mixture of everything at every stage of life, whether in the younger years or the older years.

It’s called balancing the scales of life. We are pacing ourselves and allowing times of slowing down, resetting expectations, and finding time to rest fully in between.

That’s the key to living fully even in the older golden years when there’s less happening around that time. However, the difference would be fewer diseases and more time to enjoy the simple things in life.

Which brings me to my next point.

Unplug Fully From the World

Move away from the demands of life. Yes, I am aware that we do need to provide for our families and have options for healthcare. It’s by far the most stressful thing that humans face on a daily basis. We are more worried about having to feed our families and make sure they have medical care.

However, the world will tell you that you have to give all of yourself to do so. Then we have everybody plugging into a 9-to-5 that is pulling every bit of life from us, just trying to keep up with this worry that we have.

So we plug into the chaos of the world, and we give ourselves fully. They then determine when we can get rest, how we can get rest, or if we are resting too much.

It’s all been determined for us. So we plug into a system that is slowly eating us alive with the heavy expectations of submission to the world’s way of working.

So rest becomes scarce and has to be earned. If ever you need to really take a breather, then you are seen as the rebellious one who wants to shift the narrative.

How is it working for you living on somebody else’s time and vision for your life? If you don’t unplug and live life on your schedule and agenda, then when you get to the later years thinking about finally retiring, you will be too burned out to even be able to enjoy it freely.

Take Your Life And Schedule Seriously

I am the one who pulled the plug on my life. I removed myself from the system. I tried my best to conform to the lifestyle of having a job with a paycheck and just living in the busyness of it all.

Until I crashed and burned completely. I had to drag myself to work just to be able to get a paycheck and insurance coverage.

I was exhausted being plugged into the system. It was like being a hamster on a wheel with nonstop running. My so-called day off or rest days were actually doing nothing but sleeping to get started at my next scheduled workday.

I was miserable. I hated all of it. The system was slavery at its best.

Now comes the part of control where they determine when you can get a break. Some jobs require you to qualify first and accumulate the hours, while some have a set 2-week and no-more policy, and still they dictate when and how you can use it.

Do you see the control in the systems of this world? You really don’t get to choose the life you want to live. It’s been chosen for you.

Now you wonder why the most talked-about discussions in your work circle are how tired, frustrated, and so done with work they are. Or they are super excited to be getting the time off to do what they want to do.

So how is that life working out for you? Are you extremely deep down content with the worldly work that you currently have? If there is hesitation, then it’s time to start reimagining work and rest.

Find Your Life Again

This is the most crucial part of life, when you recognize that you’re not where you should be, and you’re hating the place you’re at right now in life.

It’s good to take note of your feelings and not ignore them. Many of us keep these feelings hidden within ourselves, and they constantly bleed out on others unknowingly sometimes.

It’s because we feel that what we’re doing, being plugged into the worldly system of work, is what’s expected of us. However, it’s not. It’s an illusion that we cling to for job security, built on fear.

We are afraid to take risks and to do something different. We have the ideas for many different things that can give us a more balanced life, but we don’t want to shake the system. So we settle for a less-than-best version of ourselves.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Do any of these companies have your best interest at heart? You can go into work tomorrow, and there’s no job there for you. Or you wake up one day ready to get the day started, and you receive a text message that your position is being laid off.

It happens to the best of us, and hence why it’s important not to give full power and autonomy over your life to any job in this world without having your goals and dreams at the forefront.

Pace Yourself And Don’t Rush Through Life

This is the part where most of us struggle the most. We don’t know how to slow down and enjoy all that life has to offer us. We always seem to want to keep running full speed ahead, trying to keep up with a worldly system that is broken.

Then we wonder why we feel so unfulfilled in the current environment we find ourselves in.

Many of us live far below our own expectations because we choose to settle instead of always seeking new ways to do things.

The only way to step away from tradition and normalcy is to go against the grain and to walk a totally different life.

This lifestyle will help you live more slowly than expected and find time to pay closer attention to the people who truly matter on your journey.

I hope that these 5 tips will help you to slow down enough to see life for the beauty that it is, instead of rushing through. Make it a habit to live life differently from the world’s broken system and to find a more relaxed pace to live your life.

I wrote a book called A Balanced Life: Moving From a Dysfunctional Life to a Purposeful One. I do believe that we can create the lives that we want to live for ourselves in peace and balance.

We need to make it a priority to shift our lives from what’s not working or helping us be our best selves to something more balanced and meaningful. Get a copy on Amazon.

Also, for more finding balance and self-care-related blog posts, visit:

• How To Create Healthy Boundaries
• Learning To Be At Rest
• When Life Challenges Your Faith
• Living Life In Freedom
• Being Intentional About Guarding Your Heart
• Learning To Let Go Of What Doesn’t Serve You
• Walking By Faith Each Day
• Finding Joy And Peace In Simplicity
• Finding Peace In Chaos
• Learning To Love Who You Are
• Living A Life Of Gratitude
• Balancing Motherhood and Purpose
• A Mom In Need Of A TIME-OUT
• Benefits Of Self-care As A Mom
• Overcoming The Hurdles And Struggles Of Motherhood
• Staying fit as a mom

In addition, for more information about my personal journey of re-discovery, get a copy of my book available on Amazon: I am Who God Says I Am: Always be inspired to live the life God has planned for you. It also highlights my personal journey of transition from a dysfunctional life to a purposeful one.

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to see how life can be lived in balance.

Did you find the strategies listed in this article helpful? What were some of your favorite tips? How have they worked for you? Leave a comment below; I’d love to know what you think.

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