The Importance of Slowing Down

I have always loved to have my plate full, with wonderful things like my classes, clubs, responsibilities etc. It’s one of the things I would say if I were asked to describe myself. I never back down from a heavy semester. I sign up for a lot of big and small clubs. And I keep things busy in my non-academic life with this blog. All of this helps me network, meet new people, make new friends, learn more and adds to my character.

But on many occasions this month, I have wanted nothing but a break from all my responsibilities; the responsibility of being a good student, of being a team member, of being a friend. Things get hard. Grade 12 gets hard. And, in my mind, my request was valid: A day off, with no regards for any homework or tests, no posters to made and no articles to be written.

And as much as I wanted to give myself that break, a little voice in my head reminded me that this busy-ness was everything I wished for the better part of the last 5 years. I signed up for every bit of this and there is no point in giving up on any of it. This reminder always keeps me going.

But my mental health is also important to me. And all this stress isn’t doing anything to help. So, this post is for every ambitious student who wants to conquer everything. Ambition is a great trait, but don’t let it affect your health and sanity. There won’t be anything to conquer if you aren’t in the right physical and mental state to do it.

Slowing down isn’t necessarily a bad thing and it isn’t a sign of weakness. It just means that you are making time to look at all the flowers and butterflies of life that you wouldn’t have seen if you were always rushing around. Making time for yourself should never be considered a bad thing and if you some people give you hard time about it, you should think about whether you want them to be in your life or not (Disclaimer: This does not apply to your parents. I am not promoting emancipation).

Slow down. Take a deeeeeep breath. And make a list (no surprises there) of what is the most important to you. My mother, a life coach, does this exercise with her clients and almost always, she notes they haven’t added themselves to their own list of important things. According to the lists, their family, career, education etc. are more important to them than themselves. Give yourself some importance in your life. Keep that list with you and think about it whenever you feel like giving up. It’ll remind you of what you’ve done to get to where you are and what you must do to get to where you want to be.

Some great methods to help you slow down, or rather, calm down are:

1) Deep Breathing: Inhale and exhale mindfully. Pay attention to the air filling up your lungs and then leaving them.

2) Count the good things: Make a gratitude list when things get hard. Write down every good thing you have. If you feel like you can’t think of anything, be grateful for your ability to see this post, or for the Wi-Fi/data provisions that allow you to access my articles.

3) Focus on one task at a time: If you can’t afford to give yourself a break, focus on one task, and one task only. Complete it and cross the task off your to-do list. And then revel in the sense of achievement. You did it!

I would like to know what your experiences with full plates have been. You can comment below or send me an email at rueshi25@gmail.com. – Aarushi