For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.
Lily Tomlin, actress
“The Season” is upon us. Magically, the signs appear everywhere during Halloween. Buying frenzy begins. Only time for a three-minute shower because you did three snooze alarms because you’re so tired. Your To-do list feels UNdoable, Droopy eyes from screen-time overload. Stomach or neck knots. Speed sleeping only to restart the cycle.
Oops! Time to see the CAUTION: SPEED BUMP sign. Slowing down is the magic we resist all the time. I must finish this last thing, just a few more minutes, and then I can relax. Really? How about relaxing while doing it?
Lily is right. I remember my mom cautioning that haste makes waste. There’s a reason proverbs last: they’re true. The mindful prescription includes slowing down your movements: brushing your teeth, eating, walking, texting, answering the phone on ring five. A slow, luxurious breath is mindful medicine. Slow motion will get you there faster. Visualize the sign: CAUTION: Slow Down. Falling Rocks Ahead.
In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying
Pico Iyer, British essayist, novelist
attention.