The other day, I turned on the radio and they were
playing flash back songs. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) was playing. Are you humming the lyrics to yourself right now?
Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning
last
Just kicking down the cobblestones
Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy
Ba da da da da da da, feelin’ groovy
That made me think about things we tend to do way faster than we probably should:
1. Brushing teeth. Most people race through brushing their teeth. Take the time to mindfully brush each tooth,
focusing on your gums as well. Set a timer. You should be brushing for at least 2 minutes, versus the 20 to 30 seconds many people allocate to this critical personal hygiene task.
And take
the time to floss in the evening too. I know a good number of people dealing with dental issues because they said they "didn't have time to floss." Now it is causing them discomfort and thousands of dollars in dental bills.
2. Driving. Most of us aren't out on a leisurely Sunday
drive when we get in the car. We have to get somewhere...work, school, the grocery store, church etc. That being said, if we leave a little bit later than we should, it's easy to rush and drive a bit faster than we should...which is not good for obvious reasons.
Always pad your time well, and if you do end up leaving a little late, than it's better to arrive at your destination a bit late...than to rush and put yourself and others in an unsafe circumstance.
3.
Clicking Send too soon. Whether it's a text message or an email, most of us have hit the Send button just a little too soon, and then regretted it later. The message went to the wrong person.
Don't put the person's name in the "to" field until you're done typing your message. Then, before you send any message, take a deep breath, carefully reread the message, and then put the person's name in the send field.
Take another five seconds to ask yourself, "Is the correct person in the send field?" Once you confirm that it is, then click send.
4. Decision-making. Clearly, there are some things
in life that don't require us to ponder for days or weeks on end. But there are some decisions that we may make on-the-spot, and then regret.
Case in point. I received a call from my
daughter the other day who attends college on the east coast...her dad and I live in the midwest. She said that she would like to bring her car to college next year.
Now there is a decision to be pondered and pros and cons to weigh. I'm not saying she should not have a car on campus. But I am
saying that this is a decision that needs to be thoroughly thought-through.
5. Vacationing. So, we book that long-needed vacation and we arrive. We then proceed to rush here, there, and everywhere to be sure we have time to see and do as much as we possibly can. This is usually a
recipe for a vacation that requires seven days of rest when we return back home.
I know you're probably thinking, "Well, I won't be back (wherever it is) anytime soon so I have to see as
much as possible." I'm more of the mind to "pick and choose" those places/activities that are my very top priorities and slowly savor each one of them. I like to put my vacation emphasis on quality...versus quantity.
6. Eating. It's easy to race through meals when we have to be
somewhere. And some people just naturally eat super-fast. But there are issues with fast eating. Indigestion is at the top of the list. Weight gain is another.
According to
LiveStrong, "it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that you've had enough to eat. Chow down too fast, and you risk piling on extra calories before your body has a chance to signal that you don't actually need them."
Of course, there is also a greater chance of choking from eating too fast. And then there are the long-term health implications.
Aim for eating at a slow, mindful pace that allows you to chew your food slowly and swallow fully before
you take the next bite. Each meal, with a normal portion of food, should take you at minimum 20 minutes to complete.
Concerned your meal will get cold in that amount of time? If it begins
to cool too much, put your plate in the microwave and heat it a bit halfway through.
