Still: The Art of Slowing Down

Ah, look at me. It’s the middle of June and I’m only just writing this article.  You may think I’ve taken this theme of slowing down a bit too seriously this month but it got me thinking about the word still.

There are many meanings of the word but two in particular stand out to me. We often think of still being quiet, calm and motionless.  Yet the word can also mean continuing.  I am still learning, figuring life out and am very much a work in progress!  Sometimes slowing down isn’t something we choose.  Sometimes its something life chooses for us.  The challenge is learning how to make peace with the new pace.

Maybe that’s why I was drawn to that word and decided that June is a good time to reflect on it.

Slowing down doesn’t have to mean stopping. It can mean being more aware of our time and who and what we choose to give it to. 

Perhaps you are a parent with a demanding job, with children running riot during the school holidays, elderly parents to look after, household chores piling up, a summer holiday to prepare for, family meals to cook and days out to plan. You may feel as though you are constantly on the go and longing for a little bit of stillness. 

You may believe stillness will arrive once you’ve left work for the day, the children are settled, the grandparents are sorted and this bloomin’ holiday has finally been booked.‍ ‍But there’s always another job to do, another email to reply to and another task on that pesky to-do list and so we’re not experiencing the stillness that we long for. What if, instead of waiting for life to become less busy, we noticed the moments that already exist?

Take time to…

Make a cuppa

Sit in the garden for 5 mins

Book a professional facial

Listen to your favourite song

Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, pause for 4

We often imagine stillness as an empty diary, a free afternoon or a quiet house. In reality, being still with a cup of tea enjoyed while it’s hot, a walk around the block, a chapter of a book read or time looking after your skin. Like one ripple on the water, a small a moment can have a lasting effect.

This June, perhaps we don’t have to do less, just simply notice the moments of stillness that already exist and acknowledge them.