Slow Down to Become Your Best

When was the last time you truly felt as though you were in no rush?

For many of us, it’s been too long.

Being a busy athlete and working professional challenges our ability for optimal work-life balance. I usually feel like I’m rushing day-to-day. It’s never comfortable, but I’m accustomed to it, which got me thinking…

What do we really gain from rushing...besides the immediate stress of a packed schedule and the anxiety from multi-tasking like it’s going out of style?

Rushing around and multi-tasking during most of our waking hours gives us the impression that we are getting a lot done, but often just the opposite is true. (Actually, there is no such thing as “multi-tasking” to our brains, we just switch focus back-and-forth, but I’ll leave that topic for another blog). In fact, all the hurry and stress takes a pretty big toll on our bodies.

“Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems. Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in your body. It can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. Long-term stress can even rewire the brain, leaving you more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.”  (from helpguide.org).

Just like we need recovery time to reap the full physiological benefits from our training, we are all in need of some mental recovery time to make sure we are psychologically healthy. This is where the challenge comes in – what can we do to actually slow down, relax and unwind on a daily basis?

Many athletes train too hard and too long. We are all aware of the risks and symptoms of overtraining, which happens when muscles are not given the necessary recovery time. News flash – your brain is a muscle just like your lungs. When muscles do not get sufficient recovery time, they will weaken over time, resulting in lowered performance. See the correlation?

 There must be a balance between work, training, and daily stress in order to be your best and be healthy.

One of my personal favorite ways to slow down is to listen to guided progressive relaxation recordings. I actually downloaded some free guided relaxation podcasts and will listen to them when I need some help in slowing down. Guided audio is really helpful for me because I can simply listen and follow along.

Follow this link for Free Guided Meditations

Other people love yoga for this reason, it’s a guided way to slow down and relax. It gives your mind a moment to catch its breath! It is possible to slow down your day – the key is to allow yourself the space and time to do so. Make it the priority it is. Don’t be afraid to put down the computer and breathe…Facebook will be there when you’re done.

So, I’d love to know: What is your favorite way to slow down and relax?