SLOW DOWN

My life has always been quite chaotic so I decided to take a mental break before school started and I found myself reflecting deeply. I took a break from blogging and really took the time to think about my present, past, and future. Here’s what I learned.

We are in an age where we get everything we want immediately. You can watch your favorite shows on Netflix. Or order your favorite food and have it delivered. Or buy everything online at a click of a button.

Quick. Easy. Painless. You are super happy, right?

I’m assuming….not really.

Many of us are still unfulfilled and are driven to desire more and hence, consume more. It’s so easy to get lost in that.

We get momentary happiness from getting what we want immediately. It’s like a drug. It goes away and we want to get what we want again. But then we want better and bigger things.

However, this time, when we don’t get it, it creates anxiety and self-destructive habits. I’ve been there. I want someone to text me back and when they don’t for a long time, I start questioning them and myself. I want to get something now or I feel like I’ll never get it. I want to reach a goal now or I’ll feel like a failure.

We are killing ourselves over this and it’s a mental habit I have yet to break because it’s eating me inside out. I get anxious when someone doesn’t reply for 5 hours. I check my email incessantly. I look at Instagram and want a lot of the things people have or want to take photos just like that.

Would having all that or doing all that make me happier? Maybe for a moment, but my overall happiness is still in jeopardy.

I decided to slow down.

If it’s a 20 minute walk for a mile in a NYC park, I’ll take that walk and relish in those moments.
I’d close my phone for hours at a time and practice to not check it every 5 minutes.
I meditate everyday to make sure I get oxygen in and out, consciously.
I make sure to do my bed even though it takes the extra two minutes in the morning.
I’ll do a face mask and just lay down and not do anything but listen to my thoughts.
Clean out my room and my closet to remove clutter.
I don’t buy new clothes unless necessary and typically thrift to help the environment. Slow fashion is not old fashion.

These are things that I do to slow down. You could do whatever is slow for you. Everything that you speed through, slow it down. You’ll feel anxiety. Consider it an withdrawal and fight it.

Once you can master controlling the noise in the quiet and silence it, you’ll find peace in everything.

There will also be more room to be grateful, time will be on your side, and life won’t be as stressful. The minute you spend right now in the present will turn past and the future will be present. Go with it.

Slow down. Breathe. Be present.

This article was written to contribute the idea of slow fashion and slow lifestyle. I feel that slowing down will allow for more self-awareness and also better decision making. It’s no surprise why people are preaching yoga and meditation as a necessary step to better health, specifically mental health. Take the time to slow down and you’ll watch your time maximize.

Much love,

Annie 🙂