It’s almost noon and the weather has changed a number of times since I woke up this morning. With snow predicted at 7:30am then 8am, then 9;45am and finally rain predicted at noon, so far — nothing. For the weekend we’re under a storm warning and could get anywhere from 8-16 inches of snow by Sunday morning. What is it about snow that reminds you to take it easy and slow down?
I’m trying to be more observant and intentional with my days. I’m often reminding myself to sit down for a few minutes and just look out the window between chores. I want to start learning the patterns of the wildlife that live around here. So far today, I’ve seen and heard a bunch of flittering and fluttering birds. Mostly the Mountain Chickadees coming to grab some seeds to fly away with. But also some finches and a few Blue Jays. I find myself wondering how animals prepare for snow. I imagine they can sense the snowstorm is coming and start to make their own preparations.
Thinking about the patterns of the animals around here has me thinking a lot about our human tendencies and how far we’ve kind of strayed from our natural/instinctual human selves. We used to have to have the knowledge of hunter-gatherers. We used to need to know migration patterns of game, which plants were edible, which plants would grow when. We used to rely on gathering firewood and making fires to stay warm. Now we just turn up the thermostat. But because of the constant hustle and bustle of our lives, the convenience of literally everything, the consumerism, the materialism…It all takes us so far away from the life we once knew which was living in simple shelters with very little. Nothing more than we needed to survive. Imagine how connected we would be to what’s going on around us. Imagine observant we would be. Like children we would probably have an unlimited book worth of questions and observations.
In simpler times, it was much easier to live a life full of intention and mindfulness. You had to spend your days doing chores that kept your family healthy and safe and sheltered. You had to tend to gardens or go hunting to feed your family. None of these things are easy, but can you think of any chore more intentional? Now our days are filled with managing houses that are too big, cooking endless meals of unhealthy processed foods that required no effort other than going to the grocery store to buy, driving or flying anywhere in the world, and being constantly connected to our family, friends, and the global news. This last one, not a good thing.
We were never meant to be constantly overwhelmed with news from all over the world. Some people say we’re lucky to know what’s going on. I disagree. I believe it’s important to know what’s going on to a certain degree in our community. With our neighbors. But since we, as a people, as a country, have become so reliant on other people to fill our fridge or provide us with the things we need, we now need to know what product we’re getting, where it’s coming from, who made it, what’s in it. Way back, you knew exactly what you were getting because you were the one getting it. I think somewhere along the way, we just lost sight of the importance of sourcing our own food and products. We lost sight of what we actually need to survive. We lost sight of learning how to tend to our own homes. We lost sight of it all. And maybe it’s more than just losing sight. Maybe we were forced into the work life and no longer able to provide for ourselves. Maybe it was by design.
It’s easy to see that now a lot of people are suffering from anxiety and burnout due to the numerous tasks that have to be taken care of everyday. And often times we’re asking ourselves, what did we even do with our time today? It flies by at work or school and then is followed by a quick dinner, chores and bed. Repeat. Now add in socializing and your life is just wizzing by.
Slowing down is important for so many reasons. Slowing down shows you what’s important and how you value your time. Start to take control of your days and make a list of how you want to spend your time. It’s not always easy or convenient to make time for the things you want to do. For example, to get up and write or participate on Substack, or to get some quiet reading time in, I’m up at 4:45am everyday. But I enjoy reading and writing and just don’t typically have time for it during the day. So I make time.
As stated numerous times throughout my posts, make time for yourself. Put work into yourself. You will not regret it. Above all, you deserve it.
What are your experiences with living a fast paced life compared to a slow one? What methods worked for slowing yourself down? How do you think our current lives compare to that of our ancestors?
Leave a comment, I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts!
-AD
Good reminders. I agree—too much unnecessary news from all over. It’s intrusive & it’s eats up our precious time. We need to take control of it, & use it wisely. I also get up early to have some quiet before the kids wake up. So needed for every parent ❤️