Learning To Wind Down in Life: 6 Methods That Will Make a Big Difference
Some of us believe that life is all about taking on challenges at every turn. When you discover what it takes for you to thrive in the modern world, whether it is running a business, or taking on the challenge that they call life, the same needs to be said for the very opposite component. Learning to wind down or slowing down is just as crucial. Speed of life is increasing, and it only will go faster due to technology that saves time. But life goes by at such a pace that we fail to enjoy it; slowing down is an important choice, but it’s not always an easy one. What can we all do to have a greater level of happiness by learning to wind down?
Streamline
The lesson of modern life is that we need to do more in order to survive. But this harks back to the old quantity versus quality discussion. There are so many people that aren’t content with just having a job, but they have to have a side hustle as well. Many people feel that this is necessary because it’s the only way to enjoy the fruits of their labors. But if we focus on quality of life, rather than filling up our existence with side hustles and extra businesses, it will make us understand what actually makes us happy. Many people may not find selling a business or parting with a side hustle to be an easy thing, but streamlining your life will make a massive difference because it forces you to focus on the things that matter.
Focus on People
More often than not, we spend time with friends or family and we are not really there. We could be distracted because our phone beeps, or we are possibly looking at the television. And this could be due to the fact that we are all feeling some form of fatigue, that we are overworking ourselves so much that we have to find somewhere to actually tune out, and unfortunately, this could be with the people we are most relaxed with. However, when we get distracted by things that aren’t as labor-intensive, it becomes a slippery slope that only serves to cause problems in the long run. And in order to remedy this, you need to start focusing on the person you are with. It’s not easy, because of the aforementioned fatigue, but this is where streamlining your life can help but also find the right tools to help you focus. This could be certain supplements but also fine-tuning your diet. A little bit more focus and attention can be gained purely by being aware.
Being Present
Slowing down is one thing, but you need to be aware of what you are doing in the moment. Because we are also busy, we think about things that have happened, or what will happen, so therefore we are never aware of what’s truly going on right now. One of the simplest ways to help us become present is to learn mindfulness techniques that can bring us back to the present moment. Be aware that this will take time, and it requires practice. It won’t happen overnight. A habit will take approximately 3 months to form, and it’s such a little lesson that we should all be aware of. It will never happen overnight, but because we are used to Instagram notifications, we never apply ourselves. Being present will take practice.
Appreciate Nature
Even if we are working from home, we are shut-in most of the time and do not have much of an opportunity to go out. We need to take the opportunity to go out and enjoy what is around us. Even if you live in a built-up city area, you can go to a local park or exercise outside. It helps us to enjoy the sensations of these little things on our person, water, a gentle breeze, and when we start to think about these little things, they can provide that simple reminder that nature can do so much for our sense of self.
Find Pleasure in Anything
As important as it is to be present, if you can take it one step further and find pleasure in anything while appreciating whatever little thing you are doing, it can make the most of mundane tasks more enjoyable.
Breathing
Of course, we’re all prone to feeling pent-up and stressed out, and learning to wind down is about having control over the symptomatic sensations of stress. Some people feel their heart beating faster, and when there’s a lot of things to do in life, the sensation of stress is going to wear us down. You have to remember that the nervous system is made up of the sympathetic and the parasympathetic, and in order to have control over your stress you need to have a balance between the two. Because if you are overly stressed, this is going to have physical impacts on your health. Therefore, learning little tools to calm down will make a significant difference to your quality of life. One little example is breathing out for longer than you are breathing in. When we do this, this slows our heart rate down instantaneously. But always remember that tools to calm ourselves down need to be practiced. We can expose ourselves to stressful situations, which in turn can inoculate us to those environments, but we have to remember that stress can be a cumulative effect. So learning how to wind down in life is not just about having tools, but it’s about making sure that your life is not overloaded.
It is easier said than done in the modern world because we are all on the go. And we all think that in order to deal with the modern world we have got to go faster. But this will take focus away from the things that really matter. Learning to calm down and wind down will benefit you in so many ways.
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