I can hardly believe this is the 17th Tuesday of 2024. It’s also National English Muffin Day, Spanish Language Day, World Book Day, National Email Day, Table Tennis Day, German Beer Day, International Creator Day, Cherry Cheesecake Day, Impossible Astronaut Day, and I kid you not –National Nose Picking Day! What? Who knew?
It’s also the 36th day of spring with only 59 days left till summer. In the past, whenever I’d get impatient about things, a few of my favorite elders used to tell me, “Time will fly when you’re older.”
Bah! I’d think. No way! But now that I’m getting on in years, I realize they were right. Time does seem to be on the uptick.
There’s a theory that there’s a difference between the brain’s internal clock and the circadian clock. Apparently, the brain’s internal clock runs slower as we age resulting in the pace of life appearing to be speeding up. Other theories suggest that the brain receives fewer images than it was trained to collect when we were young, subsequently feeling like time is going by more quickly. Some researchers suggest that physiological factors influence our perception of time. Others tell us that familiar situations require less cognitive processing, making time seem to fly by.
It’s kind of ironic that in our modern world, with all its technological advancements to save us time to do more and more things, life seems to be moving at such a fast pace; especially for those of us on the more mature spectrum. It seems then, it might be wise for me to make a concentrated effort to slow things down.
Do less. Focus on what’s important. Disconnect from my phone and computer from time to time. Always say yes to a daily walk outdoors: see the sky; feel the wind against my face; and take a deep breath of fresh air. Eat my lunch slowly, savoring each bite instead of thinking about the next task at hand. Drive the speed limit and when I get to a red light, just breathe. Feel the air coming into my body on the in-breath, feeling any stress go out on the out breath. Using the red light as a sign to pause, let go, and yes …
Enjoy the Passage of Time.
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” J.R.R. Tolkien
Sharon
© 2024. Sharon Kreider. All Rights Reserved.
3 thoughts on “Slowing Down”
Beautiful reminder Sharon… though you are missed in our small town, I find joy and connection in your monthly newsletters. Oh how time flys
I walk my grand-dog Toshi 4 days each week. Whenever sweet Toshi stopped to sniff and smell the grass and trees, I would give a slight tug on the leash and say “come on girl, let’s keep moving.” Yet lately I’ve noticed that Toshi really enjoys the stop and sniff pace so I’ve decided to allow more time for her to do that. And what I’ve discovered is that I enjoy it too! I see more of what’s around me, smell the flowers and breathe the air more deeply. Ahhhh, Toshi the teacher! We are both more relaxed after our walk!
I feel the speed of life too – interesting theories about why that is, I just accepted it as a fact of life without really thinking about why!