Slowing Down: 7 Ways to Live in the Moment
Every night this past week, we had something going on. The past 4 weekends, we had something going on. As much as I feel blessed that we have things to celebrate and friends and family to gather with, it felt like we were on auto-drive, running out of fuel.
Slowing down isn’t always easy. The world we live in values busyness by cramming everything into our day. Sometimes that can be very gratifying. Speaking as a type-A person who loves lists, checking off all of my tasks for the day is SO satisfying. But the balance begins to shift when our days are overflowing with tasks and we don’t have time to just BE. So how do we get on the exit ramp towards slowing down?
We have to take intentional steps towards slowing down and it isn’t easy. Recently, I’ve been trying to enjoy the little moments with those around me. Sometimes I don’t realize the moments until after they have passed. Other times I have to be purposeful in creating the space for these little moments to happen. And then there’s those special times when I find myself in the middle of one, like the picture above. Emmit was cutting out a cactus and he was insistent on me watching how well he could cut. I could have used those 8 minutes to do some dishes or pick up a few things around the house…instead, I decided to sit and enjoy all his teeny, tiny cuts on that curvy cactus. He kept looking up at me for affirmation and a smile. Those were 8 minutes well spent and just one way I’m being intentional to slow down and live in the moment.
Here are seven ways that I turn to from time to time to slow our lives down:
7 Ways to slow down:
Little moments-Find moments during your day to ‘stop and smell the roses’, or maybe it’s a cactus cutting, or watching your baby’s face while they nap. Take a few moments to enjoy the little things. Things that wouldn’t normally stop you in your tracks, but now you take the time to smell, taste, listen or see-just take it all in.
Devotional-When you feel like time is slipping away in the busyness of life, reading the Bible helps us to slow down and see the big picture. This daily reminder of your life purpose will assist you in reevaluating your day to day activities. If you get stuck in a rut, not knowing where in the Bible you should read next, take a moment to start a new devotional by your favorite author.
No social media on Sundays- Take one day of the week to completely ignore social media. Sunday is a great day for this. It is a day of rest, a day to spend with friends and family, a day to fast from social media. Instead of spending an hour on TikTok, take time to text someone a quick blessing, call up a friend that you haven’t chatted with in some time or go out to coffee with a neighbor.
Set aside time to BE- We plan everything else in our lives, from sports activities, to birthday parties, to lunch dates/play dates, etc. Why not block off time in your calendar to do nothing? We are not human doings, we are human beings and we need time to sit and be. You might be thinking, what do I do during that block of time? Believe me, you will find something when the time comes. If you don’t plan it, it will be more organic and memorable. You might go for a walk if the weather is nice, maybe sit by the fire on a cold evening and just chat, maybe play a card game or board game.
Cut out the mindlessness-If we’re honest, how much time do you think you spend on mindless activities…such as watching TV, scrolling through video after video on social media, playing games on your phone. What do those activities do for you? Do you feel fulfilled afterwards? I’m guessing, most of the time you feel like you’ve just wasted an hour (or two)? Try to catch yourself the next time you’re distracted with mindless activity and turn it into something meaningful.
Learn how to say no-I’m not saying we should say no to everything…we just need to prioritize what we’re saying yes to and be ok saying no to things that aren’t on our high priority list. Just because you have Thursday evenings open, doesn’t mean you should say yes to the school fundraiser because it happens to land on Thursday nights. Make a list of priorities you’d like to be involved in and stick to them.
Do things slower-We try to do things at warp speed all the time, instead let’s slow it down a little bit. That phone call you’re on-have a longer conversation with the one you love; that coffee date you’re at-drink your coffee/tea a little slower; that family dinner you’re having-take more time to eat your meal. I find it helpful to live more in the moment when I DON’T think about what I’m going to do next.
The reality is, time is constant. It doesn’t actually fly by and it doesn’t slow down, it’s a mindset. Our goal, then, should be to take a few extra seconds to absorb the moment and capture the memories. I hope you find this as an encouragement for you to seek out these moments in your daily routine.
Have you been busy lately? What helps you slow down and enjoy the moment? How do you grow closer to God?
Come again, stay longer!
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