Do you wonder where your days and moments are going? Do you feel like they are racing by un-enjoyed and not truly fulfilled?
If you do, you are not alone. I recently sat down over a cup of tea with one of my precious-soul-friends as she exclaimed, “Why are the days passing so fast? Why do I feel like they are gone before I get to truly enjoy the moment?”
It does feel like that some — alright, most — days. But why?
I remember growing up and lingering with friends and enjoying the summer days never feeling like they were whizzing by nor that I was in a rush. Moments with friends felt extended as if time were standing still. And as if time stood still there were hours to lay on crisp cool grass and watch the clouds suspended in air as if this were the only moment that counts.
How do we get back to slowing down our days?
This year has been a doozy in our household. And I’ve heard it’s been a whopping one for many of you too. It’s almost been a year since the accident that left me with a concussion, vertigo, whiplash and no hair happened. I think back on how broken and messed-up I was those first months and only have tears for how God has healed me so far.
But here’s the deal — I was a mess even before the accident. I was running non-stop, not taking care of myself, and feeling like there were not enough days in a week, let alone hours in a day.
The accident changed everything though. Life was no longer as I knew it and I had to learn a new way to live my days. And through those gut-wrenching adjustments, I learned a lot. Such things that I wish I would have known before my accident.
4 Ways to Slow Down Your Days
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Start your mornings with quiet reflection.
When you feel like your world is twirling out of control, there is no better way to recenter yourself than to incorporate quiet reflection into your day. I know you think you don’t have time for this, but truly it will slow your days.
The best time for reading, journaling, and studying is morning. Your mind is free of the world’s loud noises and your soul is stilled in the moment. Incorporate prayer and ask God to slow your day and extend your hours. Then wait in expectation (Psalm 5:3) of how your day will begin to slow.
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Order groceries online for pick-up.
Making decisions was difficult after the accident. Well, actually I’m not a good decision maker most days. I don’t like being confronted with too many choices as it’s paralyzing. And heavens that’s what our grocery stores have become. Stores of too-many-choices — who needs to ponder over 6007 boxes of cereal when 1 will do.
Many stores are providing online ordering for their customers. Many WalMart’s do this now. It is so easy. You go online and order your groceries, schedule a time for pick-up, pull up in the designated area for pick-up, and they deliver your items to you.
Here’s a few of my favorites — oh and did I mention that they often bring me snacks or gifts to the car to appreciate my business. Say what? Gifts and groceries — now we’re talking.
Walmart – There is no charge. Click the link and you’ll save $10 on your first order. Oh and if you try it now, enter the code WOWFRESH and you can save another $10. That’s crazy — save $20 and see how easy it is to free up your time and head-space by ordering groceries online.
HEB – This grocery store is my local grocer. There is a $4.95 transaction fee. But so worth it — they are diligent in bringing in the choicest fruits and vegetables. It’s easy to order, click the link, type in the product you need, and add it to your cart. You get to schedule your own pick-up time or some stores even delivery.
This one step opened up hours for me and freed my brain from having to deal with all the choices that confronted me aisle-by-aisle.
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Turn off the notifications on your phone.
Somehow or another our phones have turned us into robots. Now days people think they should have access to our personal space 24/7. A friend told me that after she returned from a much needed vacation, a co-worker of hers let both barrels fly upon her because she did not have her phone with her and take his calls ASAP.
We do not need the world in our space 24/7. One reason our days are flying by unnoticed is because we are too consumed with checking each notification and responding on the spot. This is not necessary in MOST cases.
Healing from head trauma is no joke. And the pressure I felt from my phone dinging and continually clicking truly made my brain want to explode. So I took a few hours and made wise choices about my phone notifications and how I wanted them to interrupt my day.
Go to your notifications in your phone settings and turn them off.
This does not mean you will never check them — it means you are taking control of them and your time. If you can’t turn them off for certain reasons, then silence or put them on a banner where you’ll notice them later. If you need help with the steps and different options you have under notifications ask the closest teenager to you — they will fix you right up.
Don’t miss precious moments in your day because you’re face is stuck in your phone.
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Turn Do Not Disturb While Driving on your phone.
I remember when my car use to be a sanctuary. If I needed quiet time to reflect, I used it for that. If I needed to find energy, I’d crank up the tunes, throw open the sunroof and rejuvenate my soul. But this year I realized that was stolen because of the notifications on my phone. If you followed the step above, this will have already be diminished.
Turning on DNDWD it connects with the bluetooth in your car and alerts people that you are driving and will answer them later.
Isn’t that great! It take the pressure off of you to respond and you can continue enjoying your quiet peaceful ride.
On a side note — please, oh, please DO THIS! I have lost family members to the hands of those who were texting when driving. Don’t even get me started —
These are just a few suggestions for slowing down the urgency your soul feels by some of the worlds demands. This world is twirling at a unprecedented speed, but that does not mean we need to spin out of control with it. It’s time to quiet our minds, slow our days, and enjoy these precious moments we are given.
This moment right here — this moment today — you’ll never get again.