The Power of Slowing Down: Finding Balance in a Fast-Paced World

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." - Lao Tzu.

If you haven't noticed, things move fast these days. Like, real fast. I'm talking "Superman sleeping with Lois Lane for the first time" fast.  

As the world keeps spinning, we're all doing our best to keep up. The idea of "patience is a virtue" in our society is disappearing, while urgency in all aspects of life is becoming the norm.

With just a few taps on our smartphones or clicks on our computers, tasks that once took hours or even days can be completed almost instantly.

The road of life has sped up faster than ever before, and while stepping on the gas may seem like the best way to get ahead, most of us could benefit from pumping the brakes regarding our health and well-being.

Be careful. If you move too fast, you might just crash.

The New Speed of Society 

What can I say? Technology is awesome. It's reshaped how we live and propelled society forward like never before.

Want a burger but don't want to get off the couch? There's an app for that! Movie night at home? There's an app. Need a ride across town? Another app. Control every aspect of your home while not moving your ass? You get it.

Technology also keeps us connected. Social platforms help us stay in touch with loved ones, preserving relationships that may have faded. 

On a societal standard, the impact is crazy, too.

Remote work is soaring, offering flexibility and giving many people hours of their lives back without the daily commute. Companies are finding talent globally, not just locally. Not to mention the recent advancements in AI, revolutionizing efficiency and automation across professions. 

In the blink of an eye, we've become interwoven with the world like never before. However, while opening doors, this lightning-fast interconnectivity also brings challenges we can't ignore.

The Double-Edged Sword of Hyperconnectivity 

While technology has made our lives easier and seemingly better in almost every way, this hyperconnected society has a significant drawback. While we have access to nearly everything all the time, on the flip side, the world now expects to have access to us at all times, too. 

Not long ago (at all), stepping out meant time away from everyone else. Today, getting some "Me Time" seems nearly impossible, as everyone can access us at the push of a button.

For many, work no longer ends when we leave the office; it invades our homes through relentless texts and emails, blurring the line between personal space and professional obligations.

With these technological advancements and societal pressures, we're all forced to move fast or fall behind. We're forced to be "Always On." Well, at least that's what society expects out of us. You know what I say to that?

Screw Society's Expectations

That's right. These expectations we have been placed under are ridiculous and detrimental to our health. We move so fast that we fail to consider the negative effects of our actions. It can seem easier to go along with the crowd, so let's take a moment to examine some of the negatives.

Negatives of Going Too Fast

1. Reduced Quality of Work - When you rush, you miss things and make bad decisions, and the overall quality of your work suffers.  
2. Loss of Enjoyment - If you're speeding through it, it's hard to enjoy something. 
3. Difficulty Prioritizing - Think of the 80/20 rule here. If you are rushing or feel the need always to be going, you'll work just for the sake of working. This is why so much busy work gets done in jobs without effectiveness.
4. Difficulty Adapting - Adapting to external factors is more challenging when you don't take the necessary time. 
5. Learning Less - Rushing gives you less time to process and absorb information.
6. Stress - In a hurry? That's stressful. 

We all know we're not on our A-game when we're in a hurry, yet we usually opt for the quicker solution rather than the better one. This tendency to prioritize speed over substance is particularly evident in how we approach our fitness and weight loss goals.

The Stress Behind Quick-Fix Diets

So, what does all this have to do with health and fat loss? With expectations in our everyday life to move super duper fast, those same expectations fall into our health. Most people would rather lose ten pounds in a month than three, six, or even a year. The fact of the matter is it may take a little bit longer because it's important to adopt strategies you can implement for the long run, preferably forever.  

When you're on a diet, typically, you have an end date in mind, and almost always, that end date makes you act in a way that is rushed and hurried. Wanting fast results will force you to behave in a way that is not only unnatural but also unsustainable.

Whether you're just trying to trim down for the next thirty to ninety days, or you have some event coming up like a wedding that you want to "look your best" at, if there is a specific time you have to reach your goal by, well that's stressful! 

Not only that, deviating from your diet, even for one day, makes it more challenging to mentally rebound since you've messed up a higher percentage of your diet. Messing up one day of a thirty-day diet results in 3.3% of a diet you must now make up for. Messing up just a few days can add up fast, especially psychologically. 

This stress is not just a mental burden; it also manifests physically, most notably through releasing cortisol, the stress hormone.

Cortisol - The Stress Hormone

When we are stressed, the body produces more cortisol as a response. 

Cortisol is the "stress hormone" because your body produces more of it when you're feeling stressed, pretty simple. It's essential for helping your body deal with challenging situations, but if we're stressed too often and our cortisol levels stay high for a long time, it can lead to several issues down the road. 

Some of those issues related to weight gain are: 

1. Increased Appetite - Cortisol directly affects the part of the brain that controls appetite, making you hungry even when your body doesn't need more food. That's why so many of us (myself included) find ourselves endlessly snacking when stressed out, especially with foods high in sugar and fat. 
2. Changes in Metabolism - It also signals the body to store fat and slow metabolism.
3. Disrupted Sleep Patterns - When your body is amped up and flooded with stress, good luck getting a good night's sleep. 
4. Increase Blood Pressure - Cortisol constricts blood vessels and increases heart rate, which increases blood pressure. 

As you can see, too much cortisol can greatly hinder weight loss progress. While a certain stress level can motivate, an excess can derail your fitness goals, making it crucial to find a healthy balance.

The Big Picture

With everything being said, if we take a step back and look at the big picture, it's easy to see why rushing to lose weight doesn't work in the long term. Simply put, it doesn't teach you the necessary habits for lifelong health and successful long-term weight management.

Regarding your health, isn't the whole point to play the long game? 

When you play the long game, your mindset starts to change dramatically. Two critical changes in that mindset are feeling more balanced and more committed.

Feeling a sense of balance chills you out. Pushing yourself beyond your limits every day with workouts seems ridiculous and unsustainable. Exclusively eating only super healthy foods seems unattainable. These ideas that get you hyped up on a short diet seem silly if you're in it for the long run. 

Then there's commitment. True commitment. When you switch to a long-term mindset, you're in the game and not going anywhere. Had a bad day and overdid it on the cookies? That's okay because you're in it for the long haul. So get back on track tomorrow and move on with your life. One day isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. If it's a 30-day diet, though, it is.

Most importantly, when you're in a long-term mindset, you're not doing it just for yourself. You're doing it for your future self and those who would benefit from you being around for a long, long time. For your family, for your friends, and to some extent, for the world at large.

Alright, I've made my point. Now, let's talk about a few strategies to help you start slowing down.

4 Ways to Slow Down: 

1. Breath: Remember cortisol? One of the best ways to counteract cortisol is to slow down and take a few deep breaths. This will activate your body's relaxation response, helping to reduce stress hormone levels and calm your nervous system. There are plenty of different breathing methods; my favorite is the 4-7-8 method, which involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding your breath for 7, then releasing for 8. 
2. Prioritization: Focus on what's important and cut out the rest of the bullshit. When we're trying to juggle too many things at a time, the less important things can get in the way of us focusing on what matters. Figure out the most important thing you must do, then go from there.
3. Put the Phone Away/Do Not Disturb Mode: Owning a phone doesn't mean you need to always have it on you. Toss it in a drawer and focus on the task at hand, even if that means enjoying the night with your family. Do Not Disturb mode has changed my life. If you're not my girlfriend or immediate family, you can wait (and sometimes even they can, too).
4. Learn to Say No: Stop agreeing to things just to people please. You're adding more to your plate, inevitably making you feel rushed. 

Persist and Resist

According to the philosopher Epictetus, to have a balanced life, it's essential to do two things: persist and resist. 

We persist by focusing on what is in our control, like our actions, judgments, and responses to situations. To persist means continuously developing healthy habits that contribute to our well-being. 

We resist by not allowing external factors to derail us. Not only does that mean resisting binging on a sleeve or two of Oreos, but also resisting societal pressures placed on us. When we feel this immense pressure, it's natural for us to go into all-or-nothing mode and speed the fuck up. 

So when it comes to your health, or anything in life for that matter, if things don't feel right, take a moment, even if you feel like the world is telling you otherwise. Ask yourself: Is this pace stressing me out? Is it diminishing the quality of my work? Is it sucking the joy out of my life? If the answer is yes to any of these, that's a sign to slow down.

Take back the control. Maybe it's by turning off those notifications after work or choosing a health and fitness plan that's more marathon than sprint. The point is that you're in the driver's seat, and at the end of the day, it's about enjoying the drive. 

My Challenge to You

This week, I challenge you to be on the lookout for moments when performing a task, and you feel stressed and rushed. This could come in many forms, such as anxiety, scattered thoughts, muscle tension, or feeling overwhelmed, to name a few. 

Take a few deep breaths, then ask yourself, "Is this speed necessary, or can this be approached more calmly?"

If you're still not sure at that point, here are some additional questions you could ask yourself that may help: 

• "Am I stressed because I am trying to do too much in too little time?" 
• "What's the underlying reason for this urgency?" 
• "How would I feel if I slowed down my current pace? Would the consequences be as severe as I imagine?" 
• "Am I multitasking unnecessarily, and would focusing on only one thing at a time reduce my stress?" 

By giving yourself a moment, you can slow everything down and move forward at a pace that fits you better. 

Key Takeaways

• Embrace slowing down in a fast-paced world to improve overall well-being and prevent the negative consequences of rushing through life.
• Recognize the importance of balance and not allowing societal pressures to dictate personal health and lifestyle choices.
• Understand the negative impacts of rushing, such as reduced quality of work, loss of enjoyment, difficulty in prioritizing and adapting, learning less, and increased stress.
• Acknowledge the drawbacks of quick-fix diets and the stress they bring, focusing instead on long-term, sustainable strategies for health and weight management.
• Be aware of the physiological effects of stress, particularly the role of cortisol and its implications for health, appetite, metabolism, cravings, sleep patterns, and blood pressure.
• Adopt a long-term mindset for health and fitness, understanding that persistence and commitment are key to successful, long-term health management and weight control.

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