It’s easy to let life, work, school, the world take over and to feel overwhelmed. But there are things we can do, small things that don’t take too much time but can make a huge difference in our mental and physical health.

5 Ways to Slow Down:

1. Intentionally start your day — with awareness

While still in bed:

• What can you hear?
• What do you feel?
• What colors and shapes do you see?
• What can you smell?
• What can you taste?

2. Spend 2-5 minutes noticing your breath

• Sit or lie, simply being aware of the breath
• How does the air feel as it enters in the body? How does it feel when it leaves the body?
• Are your thoughts wandering? (Don’t worry it’s normal! When you notice they are, just bring your attention back to the breath)

3. Savour your coffee, tea, or food

• Take time to notice what you’re drinking or eating.
• What does it look like?
• What does it smell like?
• What is the texture like when it enters your mouth?
• What does it taste like?
• How does it feel as you swallow it?

4. Turn off your phone for a bit

• Choose a time of day when you put your phone away for awhile—morning or right before bed are my go to times.
• Disconnect from the outside world for an hour or so

5. Go outside

• Take a walk in a park or other nature if possible
• See the sun or look up at the moon and stars (even if it’s behind a cloud, they’re still there!)
• Take in your surroundings

These are just five, but there are so many more things we can do to slow down.

What do you do to slow down and smell the roses on a daily basis?