When I read this headline, I realize that the advice should be self-directed. I recently blogged about how accident prone I am, always bumping into things, catching my knee on a coffee table (that has been in the same spot for a decade!) and mildly injuring myself. I know this is a product of moving too quickly and being unaware of my surroundings. I have been trying to slow down, increase awareness and at the same time reduce bruising. Moderate success has happened. I believe I am slightly less bruised; something about "old dog, new tricks" comes to mind. Change comes slowly at this stage in life.
An experience I had on the road last week got me thinking about rushing. Doesn't it seem that drivers are getting more and more aggressive and everyone seems to be in a huge hurry to get somewhere? I make it a point to stop for amber lights, as long as I have time to safely do so, but last week I was running a bit late for an appointment. I approached an intersection, and the light turned. I could have braked hard and stopped but I kept going. The scary part of this was that an oncoming left-turning car came at me fast, then braked hard, causing me to swerve to avoid a collision. This shook me up; it was a close call. Rest assured that I have returned to my old habit of stopping when I can. What I have noticed though, is that a very high percentage of drivers run yellow lights and even red. After really paying attention to this for the last week or so I have to say I'm appalled at how aggressive and "unsafe" many drivers are. No doubt traffic is horrible and frustrating in most cities, and it's affecting us. But people, this is so dangerous! An accident can, of course cause injury, but if not, it's expensive and such a pain! My little public service announcement here is to please slow down, and do a quick scan/check of every intersection as you approach it. A green light does not mean it's clear! That is the #1 rule of defensive driving.
It is a good time of year to talk about rushing though, isn't it? For most of us, the Christmas season brings a lot of tasks, sometimes accompanied by a bit of anxiety. That's a perfect recipe for not staying in the moment and losing focus on the task at hand. I do know of at least one person who has her Christmas shopping typically finished by September, but that is definitely not me! Are you one of the many who realizes it's now December and there is a LOT to do in the next few weeks? In our house, a lot of holiday entertaining happens. This year there are 3 'parties' scheduled. One is our children/family get-together, but having a big blended family equals 22 people, so I let's call it a party.
This is all my doing, so I am definitely not complaining. I love these get-together! I also love to bake and cook, putting me (mostly) in my happy zone when I'm cooking. There is no doubt though, that as start time approaches I get a little more harried, and a little less careful. That's the not so happy zone when accidents happen.
Back to rushing. Constantly rushing and pushing from one task or activity to the next does have a physical effect on the body. It causes the release of stress hormones; it causes tension in the neck, shoulders and back; and most importantly it can remove the pleasure from otherwise enjoyable tasks. But how do we stop? There is always so much to do and if you have a busy brain, you may find your mind going over all the "to do's" repeatedly. That in itself is exhausting, not to mention unproductive. My favourite trick to slow this down is to write down everything that needs to be done, all the food, organizing etc. Once it's written down and I have a plan, the monkey brain slows down. Plus I love a list and I love crossing things off said list! If you find yourself in a constant state of panic it may be self-induced. There are some simple strategies to break that habit. Check out this article for some great ideas. I don't love the word 'intentional' - it's such a buzz word. However when you focus on a single task, or have a plan, I assure the pleasant jobs become more enjoyable. I still haven't found a strategy to make cleaning bathrooms more pleasurable - any suggestions??!!
And please, slow down when you are driving; there are a lot of rushing people out there. It's just not worth the minute or 2 you save.
Merry Christmas!
Pat xo
Hi Pat,
What a timely post. Yes, we all need to slow down, relax those shoulders and NOT RUN LIGHTS. I've seen so many people running red lights the last few years; it's infuriating because it is so very dangerous. I always stop, never taking a chance.
I keep waiting for life to become less busy, where I can really relax and enjoy myself but for the life of me, I'm not finding a way to do it yet.
You will be a busy bee this holiday season, but like you said, you invite it. ;) We had a big party last weekend for our employees (150 guests!) and it was a blast. We have a smaller party at our…