Hey You, You Can Slow Down, Ya Know! Let Me Explain…
I have shared a video on TikTok two times and each time people get triggered AF! What do I mean? No, I’m not going out there trying to piss people off (it just happens naturally LOL). When I share a video of me relaxing on the couch and my husband Tom rolling up a sleeping bag accompanied by some words stating how he prefers to be in motion and I prefer to process in stillness people go off. I get it, I do. It looks like I’m just lounging around with my hand down my pants like Al Bundy while this poor bald man slaves away. However, another thing that happens is a ton of people feeling like their feelings have finally been validated. We live in a hustle clutter right now and the truth is, we weren’t all designed to be hustling constantly. So, if you’re feeling a little called out and you wonder if you’re doing too much, stick with me and find out what you can do about it.
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Can I be honest for a sec?
Chances are you are coming into this post ALREADY knowing you are doing too much.
Your body knows when it is overworked and exhausted and you don’t need to be scouring the internet for proof of what your body is already trying to communicate with you.
My friend, you are wiser than you are giving yourself credit for.
There is, however, an escape, I promise. It’s the reason I created The Minimalist Reset in the first place, to help other people gradually make changes that give them back freedom in their lives through simplifying their time, money and energy.
This post will most definitely give you guidance and ideas on how to start slowing down while still getting shit done, remember, if you need more help, there is always room for you at The Minimalist Reset table. Click here to learn more.
The hustle hype
Flash back to a few years ago when I was hard-core on the Rachel Hollis bandwagon. (Quick heads up, this is not a Rach trash session, ok guys. No one told her how to escape the hustle, so she taught us what she knew.) Here was this power house of a woman who had gone after her dreams while I was still playing it small with mine. So I started doing everything I was told.
I worked out, started waking up at 5am, wrote down my goals and worked round the clock to make my dreams happen. You know what didn’t really happen though? I didn’t really get anywhere!! In the midst of my constant hustling and striving, I never slowed down enough to gain clarity about whether or not I was taking correct, aligned steps. I was just working and working and working and going nowhere.
Another person who had always bought into this myth, was my husband, Tom (and the rest of the American population).
Ever since I’ve known him that man has been non-stop. Whenever he would actually sit down to relax he would collapse into a deep sleep from sheer exhaustion.
Slow down discomfort
This past summer (2021) I decided to intentionally slow down — like hard core. Once Covid had hit in 2020 I was forced into a slow down and you know what? Life started going amazingly!!
For a few weeks I had no other choice but to just do little things that made me happy and I had to get creative with my time. More than ever I started reading, listening to audiobooks and practicing meditation without apologizing.
In a few months I grew a 100K+ TikTok following (talking about important matters that were changing the way other people thought). I started gaining clarity about how I could show up in the world not just to hustle and make money but how I could actually make a difference.
The slow down of Covid dramatically changed the way I viewed my life and I started to realize that some of the biggest (and best) changes that happened in my life were when I was knocked on my ass and forced to do the bare minimum.
Even though I had proof of the benefits of slowing down, don’t get me wrong, intentionally slowing down is freaking hard. It forces you to question your worth and everything we have all ever been told about our existence and how we are supposed to live our lives.
I suppose the fact that I was so uncomfortable just existing should have been a big enough sign that I had adapted to a life of doing too much.
Signs you are doing too much
Here are some quick basic signs that you might be doing too much:
- You feel like you constantly run around and never accomplish anything
- It seems like you never get a chance to relax
- You love telling people about each task you did throughout the day
- Sitting down makes you uncomfortable
- You get annoyed or say it “must be nice” when someone else is relaxing
- When someone is talking to you, you get lost thinking about the things you should be doing
- You are never able to be fully present because you are always planning the next day in your mind
- You are starting to develop physical signs of stress (migraine, neck pain, etc)
So, do you do too much?
Thought so.
Now, don’t get mad or start making excuses just yet. Instead, I want you to pause (I know, that’s hard) and ask yourself where this belief that you always have to be moving even came from.
Who set this example? How are they doing health wise? Relationship wise? Financially? Are they living the kind of lifestyle you want to be living? If not, you might want to reconsider what they have taught you.
What if hard work is holding you back?
Ok, I want you to think about the hardest worker that you know. Someone who is constantly going to it and believes in the value of a hard days work.
How is their health?
Has all that work made them wealthy?
If they are wealthy do they also have good relationships and mental health?
Chances are…the hardest workers you know are broke, struggling and always have been.
We all have this belief that a hard days work is the key to success when in reality if we look around we will find the exact opposite and the longer we allow ourselves to believe that successful living can only be found in striving, the more your body will continue to keep you in the striving state of mind…you know, so you feel successful.
Challenge your belief
If that resonates big time, maybe its time to challenge your belief about hard work. The questions above really should have helped.
So what can you do to start doing a little less?
You know sometimes we can believe we have to do so much (and perfectly) that we never take action on anything that actually matters to us?
There is a 3 step method that I use in The Minimalist Reset and it goes like this:
- Get clear about what you want.
- Eliminate anything that is slowing you down.
- Build a life that supports you instead of working against you.
You can learn more about The Minimalist Reset method here.
If you need additional help with learning how to slow down and soak up life, I have several posts that might be helpful:
- The Minimalist Art of Doing Nothing
- 10 Ways to Cut the Time You Spend Cleaning
- 18 Practical Ways to Downsize and Simplify Your Life
- What is Enoughism? How Can You Apply it to Your Life?
Take back your life
I have no doubt in my mind that you could do so much more if you learned the quality ways to do less, so I wanted to share some of my favorite resources with you.
At the end of the day, a little guidance can go so far.
Remember, doing less doesn’t mean doing nothing and it doesn’t mean you are any less accomplished or capable as a human being. The truth is, that when you learn to do less of what doesn’t matter you become capable of doing more of the things that do matter!
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