The art of slowing down
Embracing rest in a fast-paced world
Today’s entry will be a little different to the usual career advice and guidance. I’m posting this on 20 December, a day before the Winter Solstice for the northern hemisphere. This is the shortest day and the longest night. Where I live, the sun will rise after 8am and set before 4pm. Traditionally in certain cultures, winter and the time around the Winter Solstice was a chance to slow down, conserve energy, conserve food stores, and bed down until longer days and better weather. For our ancestors, this was a survival strategy. They understood and respected the rhythms of nature. Resources became scarce and the weather is, as we know, cold and unforgiving. People moved to indoor activities such as storytelling, making crafts, mending broken objects, and building new machines and tools ready for the better weather.
Fast forward to today's society. Our lives are frenetic symphonies of deadlines, notifications, and endless to-do lists. It feels like we are running and running and running, and we never stop running. Rest feels like a luxury, something that you judge others for doing, especially at this time of year, and the dark days and the year ending make it feel like we are in a mad panic to tick off our to-do lists and be hyper productive. I’m sure like many of you reading this, you feel depleted of energy, constantly tired, fed up with a brain whirring with multiple tasks and people to call and Christmas cards to write and presents to wrap and emails to send and plans to be organised and food to be bought and people to see and so on.Â
Do you remember what it was like being a child, when days sometimes felt endless, but you also had time to just sit and look out of a window or run around outside to play? While we can’t have this all the time, it’s just not practical, surely there is a balance between productivity, activity and intentional rest? So, how can we snatch back some of that time to rest and get ourselves ready for the new year?
1.      Get Outside in Daylight – if you have time, get outside in the daylight for even just 10 minutes. The cold air or even the cold rain or snow can be invigorating. Walk to the local shops or around the block in your lunchbreak.
2.      Embrace the Darkness – when the sun sets, dim the bright lights, or add your own lights such as candles, sparkling string lights or sit near a lit fireplace. Turn off screens for a moment and listen to your favourite music or a podcast and just sit quetly.
3.      Start a Little Earlier – in these darker months, I like to get up 30 minutes before my usual alarm, make myself a warm drink and get back into bed. Sometimes I scroll on my phone, sometimes I read articles or play games on my tablet, or sometimes I just daydream and close my eyes. There is often a pressure to be productive, fit more exercise or more work into your day, but it can feel really luxurious just taking this extra time when the rest of the house is asleep to just be. I find in winter, this really sets me up for the rest of day and I feel like I’ve claimed back some time for myself.
4.      Take Time Over Food – often this time of year is filled with many culinary temptations, the supermarkets are full to bursting with supersized chocolate boxes and snacks. Alongside this are the many social events with work colleagues, friends and family at pubs, restaurants, bars, etc. While these are great for a little indulgence and time for fun, all that heavy food can take its toll and make you feel more tired. If you can, try and get in as much hot home-cooked food as possible using simple recipes with simple ingredients. If you have space, sit and eat your meals at a table, or at least away from phones and desks. It will set you up to balance the excesses of this time of year.
5.      Embrace Hibernation – if you are feeling wiped out, say no to that social invitation and stay at home. PJ’s at 6pm, why not? Wrap yourself in a soft blanket and rest, indulge in some terrible Christmas movies or read that book you’ve been meaning to get around to.
6.      Celebrate Traditions – by resting, you will feel more able to engage in any family or cultural customs at this time of year. Or why not make new traditions with your friends and family, such as game nights, forest walks, bonfire gatherings?
Resting and slowing down doesn’t mean you have to abandon everything you normally do. Quite often this is just not practical – we all have bills to pay, jobs to attend to, and people to care for and connect with. However, shifting your focus from endless achievements to creating experiences, however small, and adjusting your activities to match the light and darkness of the sky around you allows you to reconnect a little more with nature.