Embrace a Lifestyle of Slowing Down In a World of Hurry Up

Practicing this art can change your life in ways you never thought of.

In my 20s, I was in a mad dash to escape from everything. First, I practiced escaping by drinking excessively and consuming as many mind-altering drugs as I could get into my body.

After waking up to the reality of this being a dead-end alley filled with obstacles to life, I began to chase wealth and fame.

In my 30s, I never slowed down because I knew the next big sale that would make me famous and popular was right around the corner.

In my 40s, my headlong chase of riches and fame came crashing down in a brilliant destruction of burnout — physically, mentally, and spiritually.

In my early 50s, as I recovered from the burnout, I began to chase fame and popularity again, thinking these would ease my addled mind.

Finally, something magical happened around my 55th birthday!

It happened while running a mountain trail in the glorious beauty of the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming.

I had begun running ultra-marathons, but not very successfully, as I had a number of DNFs (Did Not Finish) to my name and couldn’t figure out how to conquer these crazy cut-off times.

I was pushing the pace on a switch-back section of the Grouse Mountain Trail outside Buffalo, Wyoming when I sensed that I was supposed to slow down.

As I slowed through the switchbacks instead of my usual break-neck pace, it seemed as if the sky became bluer and the smell of the pine trees more intense.

I continued to pursue this slow-down mindset, with part of my brain thinking I would miss the four-hour time goal I had set for this twenty-mile run.

I continued to shut down that part of my brain and concentrated on slowing down more and more.

It was strange because my body became less tense, my steps became more nimble as I jumped over roots and rocks that normally tripped me up, and my breathing going up the switch-back became less labored.

I consciously turned my GPS watch around on my wrist so it would take effort to turn my arm over to glance at pace and time and continued to enjoy the sense of peace overflowing my body as I slowed down.

I made it out of the switchbacks and continued upward to the crest of Grouse Mountain and then down the other side into Mosier Gulch. When I hit the turn-around at the creek crossing, which I knew to be ten miles, I chanced a glance at my watch just to see how I was doing.

I had never run the uphill portion of this trail run in less than 2.5 hours, so when I glanced at my watch and saw a little more than 1.5 hours, I thought my watch was broken.

I decided to practice this slowing down thing on my way back down Grouse Mountain Trail and into Clear Creek Trail into Buffalo, thinking I would never hit the four-hour mark I had set.

I returned to my truck in under three hours, faster than I had ever done this run and feeling like I could run another twenty miles.

This began my pursuit of the art of slowing down.

What Does it Mean to “Slow Down”?

My favorite definition of “slow down” is vocabulary.com, “become less tense, rest or take one’s ease” because it is the essence of what it will take to engage in a lifestyle of slowing down.

Being a runner who does everything possible to avoid running on the treadmill, I also enjoyed Berkely Well Being’s article, Slowing Down: 14 Science-Based Ways to Enjoy Life.

The author, Tchiki Davis, began the article with, “Do you feel like you’re constantly running on the treadmill of life?” For those who haven’t had the joy of running on a treadmill, imagine staring at the same wall for hours, and you’re running your little legs off, and you never get anywhere.

At the end of the run, you’ve seen nothing but the same wall, you’re in the exact same place as you started, and now you’re tired.

Sound like life?

The biggest thing I learned through the adventure of COVID was that I, and I alone, am responsible for my mental and physical health. To expect the medical community, family, friends, workplace, and government to be responsible for my well-being is disingenuous and careless.

Davis’ definition of what it means to slow down is perfectly phrased.

“It’s not ‘being slow’ that we’re seeking necessarily; it’s the feeling that we have time to do the things that matter.”

When running that trail outside Buffalo, Wyoming, the “feeling” that I had time to do what mattered got me to slow down and observe the life around me.

That was the beginning. As I have run longer and longer distances successfully, I have also found a way of life that brings me more peace.

I have been told that I have become more mindful and even that I’m becoming minimalist.

I am very cool with people needing to put a label on what is happening in my life.

Ultimately, all I know is that I am less irritated by drivers cutting me off on the highway, people who believe they are entitled to free stuff off my hard work, and the irresponsible way that all governments handle the generous taxes I pay each year.

The peace that passes understanding isn’t just a cute bumper sticker and motivational saying any longer.

The more I practiced the art of slowing down, the more I saw changes in my life that I had always wanted to see.

Practicing the Art of Slowing Down

I remember, as a young boy sitting and watching my artist mom put paint to canvas and recreate scenic views we had seen on our many camping trips.

As she would apply paint to canvas with careful brush strokes, I was amazed that a blank canvas could produce a Rocky Mountain meadow replete with brightly colored wildflowers and the dead tree down by the slowly meandering river I vaguely remembered seeing as we explored.

When I began thinking about this art of slowing down, I remembered how my mom and later a college art professor I should seek forgiveness from sought to teach me just five basic brush strokes and techniques.

I’ve translated these five basic brush strokes and techniques into five slow-down movements.

These aren’t meant to be in any sort of order but are what I have found to be most beneficial.

1. Learn the power of the pause.

Choosing to pause intentionally throughout your day results in better decision making

2. Visualize being someplace peaceful.

In our increasingly hectic and chaotic world, learning to visualize a place that brings powerful feelings of peace will do wonders for you.

3. Go outside.

You will be amazed at what will change in your life by purposely going outside and doing something (run, walk, skip, stand in the grass barefoot) for thirty minutes every day.

4. Put your electronic leash down.

Electronic devices tend to drive you to wasteful time just scrolling and also drive emotions that don’t need to be driven.

5. Slow down your thoughts by slowing down your breathing.

Anxiousness is going to happen. Learn to control your anxious thoughts by slowing down your breathing which will relax you throughout.

It hasn’t made much sense to my running friends that I have gotten faster and have more endurance by purposely slowing down.

I do know that running is just one tiny part of my life that has gotten better since I learned to slow down, though.

I don’t make promises lightly, but I do promise that if you are intentional about slowing down, many things in your life are going to see a marked improvement.