Slow Down and Take It Easy
Our human bodies were not built for this pace of life. We all feel it. Things are moving faster and faster. You may hope that life will someday get back to normal, but there is no evidence that modern life will slow…
Our human bodies were not built for this pace of life.
We all feel it. Things are moving faster and faster. You may hope that life will someday get back to normal, but there is no evidence that modern life will slow down.
This pace of life takes its toll. We’re less kind to ourselves and others when living like our house is on fire. Unpleasant and harsh things are said when our body and spirit are forced to go faster than they were meant to go.
A research experiment looked at how rushing and being in a hurry affects our relationships, especially when faced with people in need. The study, by John Darley and C. Daniel Batson, was based upon the idea that most human beings would stop and help a person in need.
In the experiment, a group of seminary students were told that they had to walk across campus and deliver a lecture on the Good Samaritan story. The seminary students were divided into three groups and, one at a time, they were given instructions.
The first group were given their instructions and then told: "You'd better hurry up. You'll be late for the presentation."The second group was told: "You'd better hurry. Your program starts in a few minutes."The third group was told: "Well, you might as well head on over to the auditorium. Your presentation doesn't start for a while, but we are done here with the instructions."On the way over to the lecture hall, the students had to walk past a man lying on the ground (who was part of the experiment), sprawled out, obviously in pain and groaning. The students practically had to step over him to enter the hall. Did these seminary students on their way to talk about the Good Samaritan story stop to help a man in obvious pain?
Only 10% of the first group asked the man if he needed help, but 63% of the third group stopped to ask if they could be of assistance. Why did those in the first group step over the injured man, while those in the third group stopped to help?
The researchers concluded it had something to do with being in a hurry and focusing on their presentation, rather than being a Good Samaritan (how ironic!). The “rush and don’t be late” voice overtook their best and more compassionate self.
Today's lifestyle is obsessed with being in a hurry, drowning in urgent emails, getting to the next meeting and managing a long list of family demands. Layered on top of all the rushing are deep worries about the world and the polarizing political messages.
Could it be that the secret to contributing to a kinder and more creative world is to simply slow down and resist society’s pressure to go faster and do more?
Knowing that things will continue to speed up, the choices you make to take care of yourself today and learn to slow down are more essential than ever. Recognizing that you and your body were not built for this speed of life may be the first step.
Ask yourself, “Have I surrendered to a frantic pace of life? Do I desire to slow down?”If your response is yes, you can begin to slow down without making wholesale changes to all that you want to get done. Adopting the habit of taking a few deep, luxurious breaths a few times a day, your body will thank you. By calming your body, you can think more creatively and actually get more done.
Choosing to slow down and be the kind and joyful person you are meant to be will make your life more fulfilling and contribute to a better world.