Enjoy Slowing Down
By now most people have either explained, talked about, or claimed about hustle culture.
And in case you haven’t heard about it, Hustle Culture centers around the idea that working long hours and sacrificing self-care are required in order to succeed, and the only way you get to or are allowed “play hard” is by “working hard”. This cultural norm has wreaked havoc on our society’s mental health and has led to an increase in numbing behaviors including over-shopping, excessive tv watching, video game play, overeating, and other toxic behaviors. Some 43 percent of US office workers “feel burned out at work,” according to the latest quarterly survey by Slack’s Future Forum.
Burnout can be from other places besides work, perhaps you’re an overextended, overworked caregiver, mother, volunteer, etc.
Doing any one task without taking the proper self-care measures can lead to burnout and it can sneak up on you unfortunately, especially if you don’t know the signs. Here are some of the leading signs of burnout:
High blood pressure
Poor immune function (getting sick more often)
Reoccurring headaches
Sleep issues
Concentration issues
Depressed mood
Loss of interest or pleasure
These symptoms often coincide with depression and anxiety and these may need clinical intervention.
Why is slowing down so important?
When you slow down you are giving yourself the opportunity to:
Focus on what’s truly important in life. When you live a busy and distracted life, you lose sight of the people and things that matter most to you. Slowing down allows you to set your priorities and stick to them.
Stay healthy—physically and mentally. As seen above by not slowing down, one can create a lot of unnecessary and uncomfortable issues for oneself.
Be more productive. This sounds backward, but rest is crucial for productivity. Going slow and enjoying the moment allows you to bring your best energy and mental focus to your work.
So what would it look like to enjoy slowing down and taking care of yourself?
Having intentional pauses in your day, a time in which you don’t have to be anywhere or do anything and you have the opportunity to just be.
Spend less time on your phone, looking at screens, and overall be distracted by noise.
Practice doing things you actually enjoy, guilt-free, being in the moment with the activity that can bring joy to your heart and a smile to your face
Breath, yes it’s really that simple. Focus just on the act of breathing and how it feels to inhale and exhale
Practice savoring by doing one thing at a time. When you’re eating eat, when you’re dancing, doing activities one at a time, and participating in that activity can bring untapped joy in your life.
So next time you find yourself feeling like you have to yes, or commit to do one more thing, stop and ask yourself, am I bringing more joy into my life by doing this activity or commitment, and if not then think is this a need or a want, and if it’s not a need, then maybe give yourself the option to say no, and enjoy slowing down.
OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING
Therapy for depression isn’t the only service we offer. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services: