Brenda What I discovered when I stopped spinning my wheels and slowed down.
Do you ever wish you could just stop the train of life and get off for a while? Not permanently, just take a good long breather. Even vacations don’t seem like vacations anymore. Rather, they tend to be a quick dash to consume as much as possible before returning to normal life more exhausted than when you left.
Maybe the problem isn’t life, but the way we approach it.
I used to feel chaotic whenever I had a lot of things to do in a day. I would spin my wheels doing one task while thinking about the next five waiting for me. Clearly, I wasn’t being efficient and I ended the day exhausted and often frustrated. I used to think I wasn’t good at multitasking. And I was right.
Maybe what I should have realized a lot sooner is that we might get good at multitasking, but maybe it’s better not to be. Whoever came up with this idea that learning how to multitask should be given a stern talking to and maybe even a time-out. I’m pretty sure he was some corporate CEO trying to get even more work out of an already exhausted employee.
Our brains might be able to function at lightning speed, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing for us. I made an accidental discovery. I had a busy day ahead of me and I started to feel that panic rising, so I stopped. I just stopped and said, “If it’s meant to get done, it will.” And I carried on at a steady but not frantic pace. By the time the afternoon rolled around, I had completed all the tasks I wanted to (early!) and still had lots of time left to do the things I really wanted to do. Plus I wasn’t stressed, exhausted, or frustrated. It was an aha moment.
My accidental discovery taught me something that has shaped my life around work and accomplishment. I don’t always approach it this way and sometimes still, though not as often, have those exhausting days. That’s when I remind myself that I don’t have to do it all, nor do I have to multitask.
What I discovered is that by slowing down, I function better. My focus is sharp when I’m fully conscious with the project I’m working on. My thinking is clear and therefore I’m not beating a dead horse (who ever came up with that?!) and taking far too long to complete something. I make my list of things that need to get done and I work calmly at the most important or timely task.
You might say, that’s all well and good, but what happens when something interrupts your flow and you have to deal with it? I say it still applies. Stop. Think about this thing that is interrupting and demanding your attention. Unless it’s an actual emergency, it can likely wait its turn. We have become so reactive, likely because of our devices demanding our attention at every turn.
I have a confession to make. I do multitask. But in a way that keeps me calm and focused. While I’m writing, I have my knitting project in my lap. When the flow stops, I pick up my knitting and knit a few stitches or even rows and allow my mind to flow, to think about what comes next. Once I get a fully formed idea, I drop the knitting back into my lap and continue writing.
For me, knitting is one of the most soothing activities. It allows my mind to relax while my hands are busy. It allows my nervous system to stay calm so I can think clearly. For someone else, this might look like doodling, or playing with a “Fidget” device. Our bodies were meant to move, so when we’re sitting at a desk for long periods, it becomes difficult to stay focused. Knitting helps me with that, but I also get up from my desk and do a task for a while to clear my mind and make sure I’m not sitting too long.
Are you feeling frantic and exhausted? Give your nervous system a break and slow down. That might seem revolutionary, and maybe it is. So let’s be rebels together and take our time doing our tasks one at a time. You might just discover, as I did, that slowing down actually accomplishes more. As the Greeks say, sigá, sigà.
Slowly, Slowly.
