Feeling Rushed? How to Slow Down and Be Present

Are you rushing through life, always focused on the next thing on your to do list? In today’s fast paced world, it’s so easy to get caught up in overthinking and busyness that we forget to truly stop and live. Let’s hit pause and explore how to slow down, reset your mind, and be more present for yourself And for your loved ones, this episode is about letting go of the endless hustle and embracing the moments that matter most.

Welcome to calmly coping the podcast for high achievers who want to feel calm, balanced and confident from within. I’m Tati, a therapist and coach, and I’m here to help you stop overthinking, stop overworking and crush self doubt. Every other week I share actionable tips and strategies you can implement right away to create more balance and ease in your life Thanks so much for tuning in.

Let’s get started Now this episode was a listener requested episode If you have a suggestion for an episode topic that you would like me to talk about then let me know by commenting Wherever you’re watching or listening or check out the link in the show notes to contact me So this person asks, could we do a slowing down episode on moving slowly to slow down the brain?

So there is a theme there of, of course, slowing down. And here’s the thing. Maybe you feel like you’re rushing through life. And many of us can feel this sense of rushing and urgency, especially if we have high expectations for ourselves. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to achieve. Maybe you feel like you constantly need to stay busy or prove your worth through productivity.

This could also come from a fear of falling behind or missing out. And so then you feel like you constantly need to be rushing and doing the next thing because it never feels like enough. And you feel this pressure to push yourself harder. You might also experience difficulty relaxing and shutting off your mind as a result because you’re always thinking of what’s the next thing?

What more could I be doing? Am I not being productive enough? Et cetera, et cetera. And it never feels like it’s fast enough. Your mind is going a million miles an hour thinking of a million different possibilities and consequences and things that you can do. What ifs that it feels as though you can never shut things down.

Here are some reflection questions to ask yourself if you find that you’re rushing through life. Maybe you’re experiencing hurry sickness, which I have an entire episode about. You can click the link in the description or in the corner if you’re watching on YouTube. So maybe asking yourself, what are you rushing toward and why?

And how are you spending your time and are you satisfied with it? And you can also reflect on, does your daily life reflect what matters most to you? Or are you just checking things off of the to do list and doing more and more and more? So an example is maybe you’re a high achiever who feels like there’s no room to slow down, or maybe you’re just caught up in the hustle of everyday life.

Either way, awareness and doing some reflection is the first step to start to make changes. Next, we want to let go of the endless to do list. This can happen by challenging the belief that busyness equals success, or that not being busy means that you’re lazy, or whatever limiting beliefs may be under the surface.

We can also look at reframing productivity and focus on meaningful progress and making progress on the things that matter rather than being constantly active or constantly busy doing something else. For example, sure, rest isn’t something that is quote unquote productive. However, rest is an investment in yourself.

It’s time spent taking care of yourself, which is absolutely necessary to help you to not just enjoy your life, but also to get the things done that are important to you. So if you’re constantly rushing and going from one thing to the next, then are you really going to experience your life, feel joy, and be able to pause and step back and say, am I actually doing or spending the time in the way that I want to?

So some reflection questions for letting go of the endless to do list can be to ask yourself, what tasks truly need your attention and what can wait? Even reflecting on, if I don’t get everything done, what will really be the negative consequences of this? A lot of times we can put pressure on ourselves to do it all, but that can just add more stress rather than actually helping us to get those things done.

And here’s a recommended mantra or thing that you can remind yourself of in those moments where you feel like your to do list is never ending. Letting yourself know it’s okay to rest. Slowing down is a strength and not a weakness. Next, let’s talk about how to slow down your mind. One. way that is super valuable in today’s world of constant information is reducing information overload.

This can look like limiting your daily inputs, the information that you’re taking in. So that can look like news, emails, social media, anything that adds mental clutter and potentially can be triggering, especially if we are consuming content based on an algorithm. It’s not something that we are intentionally choosing, but it’s things that are often emotionally evocative, things that could be potentially stressful, especially if it’s news and the never ending 24 hour news cycle. And, you know, it could also be content that makes you feel like you’re not doing enough or adds more pressure to you because you see everybody else’s cookie cutter perfect lives.

Being aware of what you’re taking in can help you to slow down your mind because taking in more information is just going to add more mental clutter and more potential things that you need to add to your to do list, things that you feel like you need to buy, or a sense of helplessness of I can’t change these terrible things that are happening in the world and I just feel horrible because of it.

So there’s a lot of things that can happen that can add mental stress and mental rushing or urgency by the content that you’re consuming. Another practical way to reduce information overload and calm and slow down your mind is to create intentional breaks during the day for So if you’re the kind of person who is always listening to a podcast on the way to work or watching TV while you’re eating dinner or whatever it is, see if you can just remove those inputs and just be present with what you’re doing.

Even if that is going outside and going for a walk mindfully without listening to anything or going on your commute without having the radio on. See what it’s like to create those times and spaces for just silence. This allows your brain to process information that it’s taken in and you’re not adding more clutter and potential stress onto what’s already going on in there.

Another practical way to slow down your mind is to single task or uni task. And this is just what it sounds like. It is focusing on one thing at a time for better efficiency and less risk. overwhelmed. So not only are you just focusing on one thing so that you’re able to dive deeper into that task, but you’re not constantly going from checking your email to doing this thing that could be potentially adding more brain power that is creating this sense of urgency, stress, or rushing.

So for example, maybe write an email or complete that project without distractions like phone notifications. So put your phone away. What I often do is we’ll put it on. Do not disturb when I’m working, throw it in a drawer. So that I cannot see it and will be distracted by it. Another really practical and yet so essential tip to slow down your mind is to prioritize sleep.

And that’s because quality sleep is essential for mental, clarity, focus, and emotional regulation. I cannot overstate the importance of this get sleep. And if you aren’t getting enough sleep, then see if you can find ways to improve your sleeping habits and get more quality sleep or more quantity of sleep so that you can then manage the stressors of the day more mindfully.

So, my next tip to slow down your mind, create more peace, is to create moments of presence. Because these moments of presence are where we’re actually here to experience our lives rather than thinking about the never ending to do list or the thing that we have to do next. Presence is so important because in a world that constantly pulls our attention in different directions, being present allows us to truly experience life, reduce stress and find more meaning in daily moments. So how can you create presence in your everyday life? So I kind of touched on this before, but you can engage in mindful movement. And so this is just moving your body while you are fully aware. So maybe it is walking, stretching, or even something that’s housework related, like washing the dishes or doing the laundry, and focusing on the sensations and what’s going on in your body.

What do you feel? What do you notice? You can also, if you want to add to that or using a different tool to be more present, would be using sensory grounding. And this is just tuning into your senses. Our senses are our direct connection to the outside world and to the present moment. So that makes sense that then tuning into your senses will allow you to be more present.

Paying attention to what you see, hear, and feel. Noticing maybe five things that you see around you, four things that you can feel, listening to the different layers of sound in your environment, close or distant, or noticing what you smell or taste. Any way of tuning into your senses, even if you can try it right now briefly as I’m going through this, can help you to be more present to your experience.

Next, the importance of disconnecting to reconnect. And this isn’t just about being intentional with what you’re consuming or putting the phone away, but it’s about being more present with your experiences. So setting aside time to be fully present in conversations or nature without distractions from your phone or your to do list.

Those things can really add more stress to us and make our attention fragmented so that we’re not fully present. Another thing can be to breathe with awareness. So pausing throughout the day to take a deep breath and check in with how you’re feeling, even if just for a moment. I find this really helpful, especially if I’m having a stressful day or a busy day where I feel like I don’t have time to pause.

Sometimes just taking a pause and taking a deep breath, that can be a nice cue to reflect on how you’re feeling internally and release some of the stress or tension your body may have accumulated during the day. Another practical tip is to savor small joys, so fully immersing yourself in the simple pleasures like sipping your morning cup of tea, feeling the sun on your skin, or enjoying the first bite of a delicious meal.

Anything that allows you to savor those small moments of our day that we may often rush through or overlook that can really be enjoyable if we’re fully present for them. Now, here’s a simple challenge for this week to take what you’ve learned in this episode and put it into action. So I want you to choose one of the following.

Of course, you can always try more and add on more once you have started, but I think it’s helpful to just focus on one small step at a time. So maybe you can reflect on what matters most to you and drop one unnecessary task from your to do list. Another suggestion could be to reduce mental clutter by Taking a 15 minute phone free break during your day and just doing something where you feel fully present.

Or going one step forward and creating a moment of presence. Pausing and choosing one small action to ground yourself in the present. So maybe that’s stepping outside and taking a deep breath of fresh air, feeling the sun in your skin. Or putting your phone away and engaging fully in a conversation with a friend, family member, or colleague.

Or again, like I mentioned before, slowly sipping your morning cup of tea or coffee, paying attention to the warmth and the flavor. You can also do this with, you know, there’s a mindfulness practice of eating a raisin mindfully and noticing the taste and the flavor. And rather than rushing through and popping in one into your mouth after another, really noticing All of the different sensations and flavors that come up just from eating one thing at a time.

This is a practice of eating things mindfully. And this can help to actually slow down your experience in a way and enable you to savor and be fully present for things. And regardless of what it is that you choose to do, to try and be more present and slow down your mind, I want you to reflect, how did slowing down change your mood?

If you’re ready to take the next step and create balance and calm in your busy life, then I encourage you to join me for the 21 day calm and resilient challenge. This challenge is part of my calm and ambitious membership, and it’s designed to help you reset and reconnect. in just five minutes a day with powerful bite sized tools.

Whether you’re getting ready for work, taking a break between meetings, or winding down at the end of the day, these small habits will fit seamlessly into your routine and bring you a sense of calm and confidence. Visit calmandambitious.com or click on the link in the description to join today. And I’d love to hear from you if you’re watching on YouTube or listening on Spotify.

You can leave me a comment and let me know what’s one way you can slow down this week and share your favorite takeaway from this episode. Slowing down isn’t necessarily about doing less. It’s about creating space for what truly matters. By letting go of the rush and pressure and embracing intentional moments, you’ll find more clarity, connection, and fulfillment.

in your life. I encourage you to take one small step this week to slow down and show up fully for yourself and the people who matter most to you. And while you wait for next week’s episode, I have other episodes about calming your mind, improving work life balance, and feeling more confident from within.

Thank you so much for tuning in today. And until next time be calm. Thanks so much for listening. If you like what you heard, please share this episode with a friend and please subscribe and leave me a review on iTunes. Also, remember to check me out online at CalmlyCoping. com and connect with me on Instagram at TatianaGLPC.

All content here is for informational purposes only. This content does not replace the professional judgment of your own mental health provider. Please consult a licensed mental health professional for all individual questions and issues. Till next time, I’m Tati, and this has been Calmly Coping.