How I Healed Through Slow Living and Burnout Recovery
A few years ago, I experienced a deep rock bottom period in my life. I was burnt out and struggling with my mental health. A level in which slathering on new face mask or box of hair dye could not repair. There are many aspects of my healing journey, but shifting to a slow lifestyle has been one of the best things I’ve done for myself, and is a big contributor to the health, mental wellbeing, and balance I have today.
You're here, but you want to be there. So you spend your life narrowing this divide, and you call this your race, your journey, your path. You live your days tightening your boot straps, wiping the sweat from your brow, chasing undiscovered happiness just around the bend. And on and on you run.
Living a slower, more mindful life, isn’t an overnight process. It’s hard to slow down in a world that seems to be moving quicker and faster every day. With fast food, fast cars, fast ideas and fast routines constantly catching up on us, a slower life is definitely a big change. But remember, change is a process, a journey. And every journey starts with the first step.
Practice the disconnect.
Make a conscious effort to put the phone away, turn off the television, close the laptop, perhaps even take off the watch for a bit. All these pings and alerts are ultimately things that can most often wait and hour. Literally, one hour. Subconsciously we are being re-programmed to react to these notices with a bizarre sense urgency. For what? Swap out your screen time for something that nourishes or inspires you. For me, it's time I put into being a better parent and sometimes, it's simply sitting with a beautiful art book and a fresh cup of coffee.
Redirection is possible.
One of the things I am learning is that I cannot have it all, that simple. I have to be more wise with my time, thoughts and what my body is saying. When the universe said, "I had too much on my plate" it all made sense. I need to slow down and rest more, rest is a good repairer, and slow means I actually gain more. I have reduced my work hours and yes I have less money but, I am no longer in a toxic enviroment and its forced me to buy only what i need or the occational treat, but the change has benefitted me more than the bigger wage packet. My creativity, my peace, my focus, my energy has all come back and I cannot be more grateful.
Life's answers are not always hidden where they seem. It's time to venture off the beaten path to see that we’ve already been given everything we need. We've already arrived.
You see?
You'll see.
