OMG, how did we get here already?
I know that I say this every year, but this year it feels like time has been moving faster than ever.
Even though time is a made-up concept here on planet Earth, it’s still a concept that we have to live with. Our lives are ruled by our calendars and all of the daily, weekly, and monthly “to-do” lists.
If you feel like there’s less time in your day to do all the things you need to do, you’re not wrong…or going crazy!
Science has revealed that the Earth’s rotation fluctuates due to mass redistribution from climate change, subtly accelerating it. This alters our time perception, and when further altered by heightened technological advancements, it can make it feel like time is moving faster and everything is more urgent.
The internet, social media, and real-time messaging compress distances and time zones, so we’re always reachable and expected to respond immediately. Any sense of down-time is becoming nearly obsolete. Days may seem to pass more quickly, deadlines approach sooner, and a sense of urgency pervades our daily activities.
So, how can we live in this experience of the world literally speeding up, information overload, and constant distraction and connectivity AND maintain some degree of feeling relaxed, grounded, intentional and mentally focused?
Is that even possible?
Yes, thankfully, it is. And I’ll share some resources with you that I use in my life and share with my clients to do just that.
But before I dive into those ideas and resources, I’d like to share a short, fun video of an experience I had of time slowing down many years ago! Click Here To Watch The Video.
I hope you enjoyed that little journey into the magical, mystical ways of Spirit. Every time I think of that experience it makes me smile!
But, let’s face it, that’s probably not something that’s going to happen to most people any time soon. Never say never, but also have some more predictable ways to bring a smile to your face and a lightness to your step.
What I can suggest to counter this experience of time speeding up is to intentionally S.L.O.W. D.O.W.N!
I know. I know. That sounds crazy and counter-intuitive.
How will slowing down help you when time is flying by and stuff needs to get done?
Simply slowing down won’t actually change the speed of time, but it CAN change your perception of time. And that matters almost as much as being able to slow time down!
Have you ever had the experience of time slowing down…in a not so good way? Imagine how it’s felt when your newborn wouldn’t stop crying…when 15 minutes can feel like hours.
…or when you’re stuck at a red light or in a traffic jam when you’re running late for a meeting. Every minute can feel like an hour.
…or when you’re waiting to get that call about the job you really want…you get the idea.
Now imagine the opposite…how time can seem to go by in a flash when you’re looking at a beautiful sunset, engaged in great conversation with friends, kissing the person you love.
You can be so engaged in the pleasant experience that you lose all track of time…only to find out that you’d been in that state of altered time for much longer than you’d imagined!
You see, chemistry matters. Brain chemistry, that is.
When you’re in one of the “not so good” feeling experiences, you are likely feeling stress. Your mind/body reacts to this stress by going into the fight/flight mode (also known as the sympathetic nervous system) and sends increased amounts of adrenaline, cortisol and other stress related hormones into your system.
As it gets ready to fight or flee, your body diverts blood from your pre-frontal cortex (your thinking brain) and sends it to your large muscles to help you run away or fight. This is the modern day equivalent of being chased down by a dangerous wild beast! This is also known as your survival response, triggered by your autonomic nervous system.
While in this state of mind, you can’t think clearly, make good decisions or “find your words”. Can you remember a time, after a heated conversation had ended and you were thinking more clearly, when you thought of all the brilliant things your could or should have said? That, my friend, is your mind on stress hormones!
The opposite happens when you’re having one of those blissful, time standing still experiences. The nervous system switches into the rest and restore mode (also known as the parasympathetic nervous system) and sends chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine into your body. Your breath slows down, you get more oxygen into your body and your mind gets quiet.
You may even find that creative ideas or solutions to problems you’ve been trying to figure out pop into your mind unexpectedly. This is your mind on relaxed hormones!
Stress hormones wear down your organs right down to the level of your DNA. Slowing down and quieting your mind, even for a few minutes, helps your mind, body and Spirit. The relaxed hormones heal and repair your organs, and support the telomeres of your DNA to keep reproducing, having an anti-aging effect.
The simple act of taking a short break every hour to walk away from your devices, breathe, quiet your mind and stretch your body will recharges mental and physical energy, help you focus, make better decisions and be more present in your interactions with others. At work, or at home, this simple practice will enhance your well-being and your interactions with those around you.
There are many different tools to help quiet the mind and body and shift your nervous system from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic, in just a few minutes. Some of my favorites are Emotional Freedom Technique, aka tapping, the Heart/Brain Coherence exercise and the Ho ‘Oponopono Prayer. The examples below include explanations so are a bit longer, but the practices themselves can take less than 5 minutes!
Click on the links provided to access each tool.
Emotional Freedom Technique Video for Anxiety
Heart/Brain Coherence Exercise