Wholeness Healing Center

Slow. Your. Roll.

By Jacqui Schlund, Assistant Director

Speeding up.
Rushing from one thing to the next. Trying to do three things at once, okay maybe five. Moving just a little faster than our bodies can comfortably keep up with.

You might notice it when:
Your thoughts feel scattered and fast and you feel like you can’t keep up
Your shoulders start creeping up toward your ears
Your breathing gets shallow
Your stomach feels a little tighter (not in the desired 6-pack sort of way)

Here’s the trick:
When you notice that feeling, change just one thing. Pause. Take one slow breath. Then keep going . . . just a Tiny. Bit. Slower. Not dramatically slower. Just enough to focus a little better on each. little. task. Just enough to let your brain know it can downshift.

Indulge me for a moment – Think about a simple task, like washing your hair. Imagine rushing through it, hands moving fast, suds flying about, already thinking about what’s next. Now imagine slowing your hands down just a little. Taking one deep breath. Actually feeling the water for a second. The temperature. The rhythm. It doesn’t actually take more time. But it sends a totally different message to your brain . . .

When we move fast and frantic, the brain reads it as the following: “Something is wrong. We need to hurry.” That stress response can raise blood pressure, make it harder to focus, and create more tension.

When we slow down, even a little, the brain starts to read: “We’re okay. We’ve got this.” And your nervous system responds right along with it.

Research shows that one intentional breath and slowing your pace can do the following:
Reduce cortisol (stress hormone)
Activate the parasympathetic nervous system (your rest and regulate mode)
Improve focus and efficiency
Increase feelings of steadiness and control

In other words, slowing down doesn’t make you less productive. It often helps you get more done. One of my favorite phrases often used in Navy training is:  “Slow is smooth & Smooth is fast.”     The idea is that steady, controlled movement usually gets you there faster than rushing and making mistakes.

Your Ninja Challenge This Week
Slow. Your. Roll.
Notice a moment this week when you feel rushed.
Your movements and thoughts are a little too fast
Take one intentional breath.
Slow down, just a little.

Maybe your steps feel more grounded. Your movements a little smoother. Your breath a little deeper. Your hair a little cleaner. Less flying by the seat of your pants.More steady, present, and total ”badass”. All from one tiny downshift. You’ve got this!

Works Cited:
Ma, X. et al. (2017). The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 874.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in contextast, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144-156.

Tags: slow down and reap benefits, Vagus nerve hacks