Ahhhh! The incubator is starting up today and I need to post the next module for my online course on racism & health, and I need to submit my PowerPoint presentation to the national conference I’ve been selected to speak at this Friday, and I need to write another page of my dissertation paper (not to mention my advisor sent MORE comments), and I need to catch up on the reading I haven’t done…. And the list goes on… And on…. And on…
It’s therapeutic to see some of the thoughts out on paper and writing them, actually helps me to SLOW DOWN!
Ever have one of these days? Where it seems that your “things to do” have “things to do”?
So… if you can’t tell – I’m a pretty busy chick! I set goals and get things done, and that’s fine from time to time but I’ve also learned in the middle of all this hustle that it is totally okay (and necessary) to slow down!
There are 2 reasons that I randomly started to write this quick blog (no, not to brag on my busyness because nothing about it is FUN or CUTE right now!):
1: To simply “Free-write”
Making lists can be very overwhelming for my mind to digest. Lists start to look like a long line or road down the paper that is impossible to conquer. But when I free-write, it forces me to slow down because it takes more time to write a paragraph than a list of things. And when I free-write I can also express ALL of my emotions – the anxiety, the fear, the doubt, the overwhelm… and when I finally see my paragraph of things to-do in black and white they seem a little less daunting - It’s like by calling out all the things that are haunting me, I am able to take back my power!
2: To tell you to “SLOW DOWN”
It’s totally okay to take it easy, to say “to hell with the hustle” (which is an amazing book), or to say “no” to the next invite, project or task, or to completely disappear. When we slow down and step away, many times it’s a necessary reset and reboot for our minds. When thoughts, ideas, and activities are jumbling around in our brain, or mind is working on overdrive to keep us sane. It’s harder for us to focus and actually execute, even if the task is minor. The mind was created to think of new ideas not to hold on to old ones. So when we force our mind to hold on to our list of things, we stop it from creative problem solving, strategic thinking, and even simple decision-making. Slowing down can help us free our minds and stepping away can give us the clarity we need… And there is nothing wrong with that.
So that was a complete brain dump… and if you completely followed my stream of consciousness (typos and all) - CONGRATS lol
Here are the practical steps to my above brain dump:
Put your “things to do”, feelings, and emotions in black and white to give yourself power over them and a more positive perspective.
Slow Down! - It will increase your ability to operate at high levels.
Brain dump all your things to do, and take a moment to really think about their importance in your life. Reflection is powerful!
Unplug from anything that drains you but doesn’t power you back up.
Don’t feel bad about it.
Free your mind so that it can think of new ideas instead of holding on to old ones. Free your mind through prayer, meditation, puzzling, dance, singing, a nice facial...whatever floats your boat.
Hit your inner reset/reboot button throughout the day by simply telling yourself to “slow down”.
I hope this helped. If you want to read more about it being okay to slow down, checkout this blog that I found after I was done with the free-write.
Now! Back to one of my most productive days ever (see my perspective has shifted :D)!
Peace & Love,
Shekinah
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