This week I was with one of my coaching clients (I love her so much, she’s done two Soul Adventures, been to Peru with me, I’ve coached with her for years and her life has become about 99% perfect, she’s a joy to work with) and we started talking about the other 1% of her life that in this moment is not exactly perfect. This thing has been bugging her for a while and during our call, we really got at the heart of this particular pattern and (in her usual way) she blasted right through it.
We kept talking about how to prevent this from coming up again in the first place and I started talking to her about the magic and the power of Slowing Down.
Doesn’t it feel like things in our modern day life have just gotten absolutely crazy? I love technology. I love that I can ask ChatGPT to ‘plan the perfect day in Dana Point, California' and it will come up with stuff I never even thought of. I love that my Oura ring tells me how I slept last night. And I love it when my iPhone says “ding ding” and it’s a sweet text from my honey.
But hasn’t all this stuff just made things a little nuts?
And I especially hate watching couples (or worse, entire families) sit in restaurants not talking to each other, and everyone is on their phones. I can understand doing that for five minutes to check for something that feels important, but to do it for the entire time until the food comes and sometimes even while they’re eating?
When I was in 6th grade, we got the Weekly Reader (printed, not in email), and I remember an article that said that at the turn of the century (the year 2000 - which at that point was 35 years away), the biggest problem we would all have would be what to do with all of our free time. Their point was that many people were starting to get so many labor saving devices (dishwashers, automatic washing machines, motorized lawn mowers) and most people had gone to a 5-day work week, that, according to the article, by the year 2000 our biggest problem would be what to do with all the free time we would have.
WRONG! Could they have been any more wrong?! Technology has just amped everything up to a fever pitch. I’m so glad I left my divorce lawyer practice in 1999, just when the internet and emails were coming in and just when everyone’s attitude started to be, “I should be able to get you whenever I want you.”
Do you find yourself rushing around a lot? Do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed a lot?
![4 tips for slowing down that can work magic in your life [and bring you peace and calm]](jpg/busy-street-scaled.jpg "busy street")
For the first time in a long time, I spent much of today in overwhelm and I’m not used to doing that and, I’ll tell you, I don’t like it, it doesn’t feel good.
When I brought this up with my client, she started talking about how rushing around all the time just fans the flame of the anxiety that she sometimes feels. I think that’s true for everyone, it’s certainly true for me. As I’m rushing around, I can feel my heart rate going up and I can sometimes feel my stomach churning and my mind is scattered. Is that true for you?
Doctors and scientists have now proven that this type of stress (especially this type which can be almost constant) is very bad for our bodies, resulting in higher levels of cortisol, higher blood pressure, and erratic heart rates.
I also find that when I’m rushing around, I make stupid mistakes that end up costing me even more time. Have you ever rushed around looking for your sunglasses and they’re on top of your head? Have you ever rushed around looking for your keys and you’re holding them?
Research has found that multi-tasking not only doesn’t work, it’s worse for everything. Multi-tasking drops the effectiveness rate of whatever you're doing by 20%, compared to if the person is focusing on doing one thing at a time.
There are some really simple things that you can do that can bring some peace and calm to your life right away, by simply Slowing Down. The key is that it’s simple, but it’s not easy. Most of us are so wired to go, go, go, that slowing down can be difficult. But I promise you, these work:
- Sit and take a deep breath and close your eyes. Set the intention, “I am going to start slowing down. I am starting to slow down. I am being more careful and conscious.” Take some more deep breaths as you do this and actually see yourself in your mind’s eye moving through life at a slower pace.
- Make the decision to leave 10 minutes earlier than you think you need to leave for everything that is on your schedule — appointments, meetings, being at the gate for a plane, etc. This telegraphs your brain “I’m early, I have plenty of time,” so the rushing element is completely eliminated. I promise you, this is not a waste of time, you will be amazed if you do this for even 3 days.
- Every time you sit down in a chair or get up from a chair, do it more slowly than you normally would. Don’t plop down or jump up. Sit down very slowly and consciously and you might even say to yourself, “I’m sitting down slowly.” As you get back up, do it slowly and, again, you might say to yourself, “I’m getting up slowly and consciously.”
- Set the intention that you are going to walk more slowly (unless there is a situation where you’re running for a plane, but again, if you left 10 minutes earlier than necessary, you wouldn’t find yourself running for a plane!). When you feel yourself speeding up, simply start walking more slowly. As you see other people passing you and rushing around, smile, send them love, and be grateful for this newfound peace that has come into your life.
Do this for 3 days. Just tell yourself you're going to do it for 3 days, because promising to do it forever is too overwhelming for your brain.
Do it for 3 days and I promise you will feel differently, and you'll have a deep desire to do it for longer. It’s so different and so counter to how almost everyone else does things, I think you will be amazed. And I think you will be doubly amazed at the peace this brings you.
If you find this to be difficult, or if you find that just doing this for 3 days doesn’t create a significant sense of peace, then that could mean that there are much deeper issues here.
So many of us are so used to living with anxiety all the time, that it becomes second nature. There might be deeper clearing that needs to happen to really bring you into a sense of peace and contentment, not only with your life, but also with your relationship. Or maybe your partner is so out of balance, that changing one thing doesn’t have that much of an impact. In that case, you need something deeper and more encompassing.
That’s what we do best — clearing the blocks and the gunk that are holding you back and causing the problems. And then bringing you into connection on all the levels — physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Connect with us. Speak with one of our Soul Guides — they’ll dig deep and start the process to get at the bottom of what’s going on and custom design a retreat that is perfect to take you from where you are to where you want to be.
Call us at (928) 204-5988 or request a call and one of our Soul Guides and we'll call you and start the process of bringing you into the life or relationship of your dreams.
Would you like to speak to someone today? We’re even open on Sundays, because we’re here for you.
Emily says her Soul Adventure helped her “move past her fears” and “brought peace, clarity and love into my life”
Did you know Sedona Soul Adventures was named
“Best of Sedona” for Retreats for 2020-2024,
“Best Marriage Retreats in the US” 2015-2024 and
one of the "11 Best Couples Retreats Around the World"
by Bride's Magazine in 2022? Plus we were named one of
Global Radiance Review's "20 Most Trustworthy Companies of 2023"
and “Ten Best Companies of the Year for 2024” by CEO Views. And Debra was recently named as a "Global Business Women to Watch in 2025" by Business Talk Magazine!
It’s because what we do gets results - call us now, let us help. As I always say, if you knew what could happen, you’d be calling right now.
What area of your life do you need help with most right now…
Your relationship?
Finding your life purpose?
Loss of a loved one?
Healing & pampering?
Or is it something else?
Because we’re here for you - and we’re even open on Sunday!
Remember, there's no cost or obligation to speak with a Soul Guide and have them custom-design the perfect retreat just for you in Sedona or At Home.
Call us at (928) 204-5988 or request a call from one of our
Soul Guides and they will call you.
Wishing you a week filled with peace, tranquility, and a much slower pace!