Slowing Down

by Bo Hayes June 21, 2016

The last few weeks have been absolutely crazy. I feel like I've been going nonstop, mainly because I have. You ever feel like you don't have enough time in the day? That's been me for the last month straight pretty much. While I'm not complaining because I love what I do and wouldn't change a thing, it did get me thinking while driving one day. How often do we get so caught up in life that we forget to slow down and appreciate that we're actually living, even if just for five minutes? What I mean by that is that I know sometimes you have to do some things you absolutely don't want to do; everybody does. But other times you also get to do things you want, plan things you want, work for things you want, and it's really easy to get caught up in a whirlwind and feel like you're going nonstop. Most people would call this stress. Now without getting too deep into anything, stress is your body and mind adapting to changes in your life and there are two types of stress; eustress and distress. Simply put, eustress is good stress, while distress is (you guessed it) bad stress. Eustress is meant to have a positive influence on you, help you grow, and enrich your experiences in life like buying a new house, getting a new job, or getting married. On the other hand, distress is what people usually relate to when they think of stress in general. Distress usually causes anxiety or worry, because it is usually perceived as coming from something negative that is outside of our coping strategies. You can come up with examples of distress pretty easily; losing a loved one, having a relationship end, job or financial problems, and so on. What I'm getting at is that people frequently mistake positive changes or options in their life as distress. They let it become a burden to them and forget that the things causing the stress are meant to be good changes and were originally something that they chose to do because they wanted to. Don't let the opportunity become an obligation. You're going to have stress in life, I'm sorry but that's part of it. However, you can choose how you view it. Sometimes you need to need to remind yourself that even though you may be busy and feel like you have a million things going on at once, you chose to start whatever journey you're on because you knew it would ultimately make you happy. If you ever feel overwhelmed, take a minute and sit back and remind yourself that you're getting to do this, you're not having to do this. Remember that this is all part of the process and that the end destination will be all too worth it. And that process is meant to be relished. Don't let it pass you by because you are too concerned with the destination. Enjoy what you're doing, why you started it, and what you'll become from it. And on the other end of that spectrum if you are in distress because something, or maybe everything, feels like it's going wrong in your life, take a step back and just breathe for a minute. Realize all of the beauty you're surrounded by and all of the good that this life has to offer. I don't know what you're going through, but I do know it can't last forever. Life has peaks and valleys, and neither one lasts forever. Whatever season you're in right now in your life, you can all benefit from slowing down every now and then. Treasure the opportunities and options you have even when they weigh you down. Realize that bad times are not permanent, they're only temporary and life is far too beautiful and limitless to not be able to find a silver lining in your struggles. Minor setback for a major comeback right? And above all, remember you can always be at the other end of the spectrum you're on. Life's too short you guys, we only get one. Don't let good things become a burden just because it may be hard or different, and don't let bad things allow you to forget how beautiful life can be. Just don't forget to slow down sometimes.

“We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are.”- Bill Watterson