Slow down

I'd like to ask you… since you woke up today, how many trees have you noticed?

Have you stopped to look at one?

Have you paid attention to the sounds of wild animals?

Have you smelled the fragrance of any aromatic herb or a flower?

Have you practiced any hobbies?

If your answer is “No” to these things, then you're living on autopilot. You're more in your head than paying attention to what's happening right now.

The best antidote to living on autopilot is to slow down, in order to live more in the present moment.

Just as its name suggests, the present is a “gift.”

Living on autopilot is living asleep, or living in a rush.

Living asleep is a sad way to live; you don't develop lasting memories. And living in a rush is a tiring way to live; your internal organs burn out.

The first way to improve our well-being is by becoming aware of our fast-paced routines, to the point of eating in a hurry or not dedicating enough time to our families.

This is how the big question arose: "the urgent versus the important." It's often difficult to distinguish between them, we fill our days with urgent matters forgetting the important ones, like quality time with our love ones.

I ask you again, how many trees have you noticed? Have you stopped to look at one? Have you noticed any birds or insects in those trees? Because they were there.

Neuroscientist Tara Swart coined the term "neuroaesthetic," which refers to pausing to observe beauty in nature or in art—in painting, in music, in the movement of a dance—to strengthen our brain neurons.

You need to give yourself permission for a "pause", and then space and time, even to feel the texture in a pet's caress.

The joy of living is found in eating more slowly, reorganising the closets—just one drawer a day—making time for family without so much preparation or fuss, but simply to spend it together joyfully, celebrating just because it's Monday night and we're all still alive... that's reason enough to celebrate.

Living at a slower pace isn't automatic; it requires awareness and intention to achieve it, to contemplate, to enjoy the silence and quietness for a moment, and to strengthen the practice of being in the here and now.

About the Author: Doraliz Aranda is an author and Therapeutic Counsellor for adults and adolescents, PCT, PCE-CfD, EMDR in training, and an Accredited Member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). She writes from South Derbyshire, England. Visit www.doralizaranda.com