A gift this season of life has given me?
A clear understanding that not everything is an emergency.
Don’t get me wrong. There’s a time and place for urgency.
Pipe burst? Tornado sirens? Fire? That’s when you run.
But keeping twenty tabs open in my brain while fire-jumping from one notification, request, email, and text to the next, from the moment I open my eyes until I close them each night?
Nope.
And I won’t simply reduce it to, “I’m tired.” That’s not it.
Put simply, I’m now in a place where my mind, body, and soul gently remind me:
We value peace for you. We value a reasonable pace of life for you. We value a rested nervous system that remembers how to breathe deeply.
Younger years often come with lots of energy and a desire for the swirl of life’s activity from morning until night. That season was a gift I cherished, especially when our children were tiny. We tapped our energy daily for late night feedings and endless attention that our sweet babies required.
And while the kids were still preschoolers, I found myself stepping into a season of caregiving as I began caring for my parents, too. Those days turned into many sandwich generation years, requiring a double portion of heart-driven vigilance that often meant interrupted sleep and unpredictable days.
Those seasons mattered.
But this season matters, too. And, I’m learning to honor a more balanced pace. It’s a hard-won lesson as an Acts of Service-Love LanguageTM gal whose always-ready-to-respond mode can keep the mind and body from fully resting.
Now, when work deadlines loom or real emergencies pop up, I can still tap into that reservoir of focus and determination. It’s still there.
But living in a constant state of adrenaline? Keeping my brain and energy revved up all day, every day?
No más, friends.
I’m finding that slowing down is one more way I choose wellness.
Slowing my breathing, my attention, my response time.
Slowing down helps me return to myself. It quiets the noise, steadies my heart, and leaves me feeling more refreshed, more present, and more grounded.
I’ve come to believe that slowing down doesn’t cause me to miss life.
It helps me notice and cherish it even more. 🤎
Before you go, I’d love to hear from you.
Has slowing down changed the way you care for yourself?
Or is it something you’re still learning to embrace?
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