For 2022 my mantra is going to be slow down. Slow down on work, slow down with social media, and slow down with my personal life. These last two years have honestly been a blur, and I feel like I’ve lived in a whirlwind. Even though the world essentially halted back in 2020 I feel like I’ve also been spinning aimlessly trying to, hopelessly establish goals for myself and my future. It’s felt like I’m chasing something that I don’t know will ever happen because the future seems so unpredictable. So instead of running full speed into everything, I’ve decided to take some time to slow things down.
With work, I want to be more intentional in not burning myself out. Establishing a good work-life balance is something I preach endlessly, we are only any good to our employers if we treat ourselves and our time with respect. Setting good boundaries is so important especially with work. When I start to feel overwhelmed with meetings and emails I want to take a step away for a walk and clear my head, or even go and make myself a good meal. I can’t help out our clients or team members if I can’t focus on the task at hand.
Social media lately has been something I’ve been struggling with. I’m feeling obligated to post multiple times a day, show up on stories and Tiktok, post quality videos, and nothing seems to really feel fulfilling. I’m starting to feel like I’m posting just to post and not posting because it’s something I’m proud of. So slowing down and posting for myself instead of for the algorithm is a new focus of mine. Photos have been performing poorly on Instagram but this is the content I’m most proud of, that brings me the most joy to create (other than my GRWMs over on TikTok, check them out!) so instead of agonizing over the like number, I’m going to focus on how proud of the piece I am.
Some days I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, it may be because it’s still getting dark at like 5 pm, but I think slowing down and being intentional about how I use the hours I do have is so important in sustaining good mental health and getting the most out of my day.
Slowing down can sometimes feel overwhelming and not always possible, especially on those winter days when there just aren’t enough hours in the day, it can also feel unnatural. When you live a go go go lifestyle, and often city life can foster this mindset this new mentality doesn’t always feel good and doesn’t feel like you’re doing enough.
But some benefits of slowing down can be productivity. When you slow down you can be more deliberate with your time, focus on tasks that are crucial or have deadlines and plan for other tasks on days that aren’t as busy.
I often get impulsive and will jump into a new task before completing another and then I’m left at the end of the day with five incomplete projects and nothing is done which is probably more overwhelming than a long to-do list.
When you’re deliberate with your time and slowing down you can eliminate the chaos around you, I like to make to-do lists, plan out my days, yes, I plan out when I’m going to vacuum, write my blog posts, and take my fitness classes, this allows me to work the rest of my day around those important tasks.
Slow down and become deliberate about your day you can also be more confident because you know the value of your time. You know that your time is important and worth conserving.
Don’t forget to also take a step away to feel good about what you’ve accomplished in your day, even if it’s just getting out of bed. Doing little things for yourself and your mental health is so important every day. I’m going to take more time for slowing down and being more deliberate in all aspects of my life.
