Slowing Down in a Fast-Paced World

That's a good question

remember you don’t have to be like all of the others, i’ve struggled with this particular thought for some time now and i just realized that everybody has their own milestones they need to hit, you don’t have to be at the same pace of everybody else, take your time:)

Tbh the inside of my head sounds like a UN meeting about Israel. I'm still working on focusing on one stream of thought at a time rather than letting them bury me. One of the more helpful things I've tried, my therapist says she uses this one for her child/adolescent trauma patients, where you take whatever your biggest issue in that noggin and make it an external force. I am not panic. I get attacked by a panic monster. Helps me with the guilt and the feeling out of control.

this was a great question that is really hard to answer. it’s so hard to slow down when everything seems like it’s going around you. i would say step 1: focus on what YOU need to do each day. not what other people need, YOU. if that’s just making sure you brush your teeth, absolutely incredible. create the time for you to get what you need to done, instead of relying on others for what they think should get done. step 2: deep breaths, eyes closed, all of that stuff. i always find taking deep breaths helps slow me and my heart rate down. while you close your eyes, think of the happiest place you can and imagine yourself there

I really felt that question. I understand the almost panic in asking it. I ask that to myself all the time. The world is too fast for me too. I'm not saying I have the answer, but this is what I do. When I feel like things are going too fast, too many things due, too many events to go to, etc., I try to take a step back from it all and give myself permission to miss those things in order to find something more valuable than being an A-student or a great socialite or whatever else I'm trying to do/be. The more valuable thing is peace, self-compassion, literally just being okay. People who have never struggled with mental illness I don't think understand the importance of just being okay. We aren't trying to be amazing, on cloud-9, transcendently happy - we just want to be okay. Because people don't understand that "okay" is the goal and not a given, often they don't understand why you may need to back away from things. You can explain if you need or want to, but you don't have to. Being okay is worth it even if they don't understand. My advice is to back away from the things that feel like they're moving too fast. Take space, take time. Make a life that is worth living to you, not one you feel like you have to keep up with. (I feel like I'm telling myself this too as I write it for you) I pray you find some peace and a way to slow down. Let me know if you want to chat about this ❤

You've got touch going on in your life. Slow down and gradually add to your life.