How not to rush and live in pleasure: 5 life hacking
Text: Karina Sembe
Modern man lives much longer than their ancient ancestors and, in spite of this, constantly rushing somewhere, seeking to have time for everything at once. It is understandable: with the development of science and technology, the rhythm of life has seriously accelerated. Today, at the forefront of the combination of youth and success, and most of us are trying to take place as soon as possible. The media is full of notes about 23-year-old millionaire startups, every day there are interviews with students who are both models, DJs, and graphic designers, compile lists of the most successful and influential people under thirty and ratings of women who perfectly combine career and family.
Progress and healthy competition are not bad, but in trying to meet the illusory standards, people sometimes take on too much. Stopping and looking around do not allow fear to disrupt the deadline or fear of growing old without reaching anything, and when you still manage to relax, anxiety often occurs instead of rest. Yesterday we talked about new methods of extending life: perhaps soon we will be able to have time for much more and there will be no reason to hurry. In any case, while scientists are looking for ways to healthy longevity, it is time for us, still mortals, to stop trying to keep up with all the tasks.
The movement for a measured lifestyle is not new: everything began in Italy in the 90s of the last century in the form of a protest against the fast-food industry. Then the inhabitants of Rome organized the Slow Food movement: they chose a snail as their logo and indicated their intention to eat tasty, balanced, and above all, without haste, by all means. From this movement developed the philosophy of Slow Life. Her followers urge you to do your business in a comfortable pace for you and give preference to quality rather than quantity in any area of life - from food to communication. Such a “slowdown” has nothing to do with the commonplace laziness: Slow Life implies the absence of fuss in everyday affairs, healthy organization without extremes - and all this for the sake of improving the quality of life. It is not so easy to tune in to a power mode, but for a start, you can try to learn a few reasonable principles.
Rethink multitasking
Living in the style of Slow Life does not mean giving up all the possibilities and challenges of modernity. The adepts of the current have nothing against active sports and are fully capable of performing work in a short time. Fans of a measured lifestyle first of all advise to get rid of multitasking, especially in the field of intellectual activity.
It is easy to notice the pattern: in a panic, clutching at everything at once, you do not have time to do anything, but only more nervous. If you have the strength to develop a new application at the same time, raise a child, learn Korean and learn to play the guitar, that's great, keep it up. But, in order not to burn out, during each lesson, if possible, do not be distracted by others (although this “occupation”, like children, makes its own adjustments to the plans).
The so-called positive psychology should not be perceived as the ultimate truth, but there is much to learn here. Dale Carnegie, author of the book How to stop worrying and start living, which everyone and everyone managed to hear about, compares human performance with the movement of sand grains in the hourglass: if we make sure that the jumper in the clock passes more than one a grain of sand, the clock will go bad. So the important principle of any activity without haste is: "One grain of sand - per unit of time, one thing - in a certain period of time."
Do not turn planning into mania
We have already figured out the girls who work a lot, how to cope with affairs and not to burn out. One conclusion: to plan, but plan wisely. Slow Life ends when the fulfillment of the points of the plan turns into a race in which we are in a hurry to overcome the entire list of tasks as quickly as possible. There is even a meme stating that this behavior, strangely enough, is characteristic of lazy people: they try to do everything quickly in order to get even with the work, and qualitatively so that they do not have to be redone. Meanwhile, unhurried execution of even the most usual actions teaches focusing, and concentration of attention, as is known, is a guarantee of high efficiency.
Sliding for timing without fanaticism. Do not plan too much: start with a few urgent matters a day, and when you see that you are doing it, gradually expand the list. If something is not going according to plan, this is no reason to panic. We wanted to study today, and to work tomorrow, but we received an important task? Give him a couple of hours, and tomorrow you spend the same amount of time studying. When planning something, you should allow the possibility of error and soberly assess its likely consequences. There are not many posts where a delay of one to two days can lead to dismissal. However, if your work is one of these and you can’t cope with it in any way, consider whether such nervousness is worth your time.
Take a fresh look at the rest
The brain needs regular rest: only in this way is it able to continue active work, find new associations and fresh solutions, allowing us to remain productive. Take a break from sharing information at least half an hour a day: ignore the messages, do not read the news, do not talk to anyone. Take time for a short walk, if you can, take a nap. It is important not to forget about your favorite activities: reading or drawing will help to concentrate as well as meditation. The main thing is not to turn a hobby into a duty: anxious personalities even have a tendency to do work from rest. Trying to read the Karamazov Brothers in three days or to reach the top in surfing during a week-long holiday in Portugal is brave but senseless.
Do not be afraid from time to time to neglect socialization: a Friday hike in a bar with tired colleagues can be replaced by a swim in the pool or a banal TV show on the couch - these are also great ways to relax. Among other things, the slouleifers advocate the abandonment of gadgets during rest. We don’t try to impose such radical steps at the dawn of the digital era, but we definitely advise you to turn off phone notifications about every like and comment - they not only stimulate the production of dopamine, which cause dependence, but also distract from work.
Eat consciously
Cooking is a process that can bring no less pleasure than the result - tasty and healthy food. Cook your own meals more often, and if you have just enough spare time, start with at least one homemade breakfast a week or light snacks for a home party — you may not be able to stop. To start, choose simple and nourishing dishes, rely in their preparation not only on the recipe, but also on your own desires - over time, you will definitely get it.
As you know, during the meal you should not be distracted by watching TV or exciting conversations - so we eat more than is necessary for saturation. Nutritionists claim that negative emotions and shock information should not be combined with nutrition. Remember: one thing per unit of time. The series can also be viewed separately from the soup, and during a leisurely lunch it is better to enjoy the taste of the dish (if it succeeded, of course).
Do not be afraid to stop
At times it seems that, by pausing, we hopelessly lag behind the general rhythm and risk to be left behind. In fact, a pause is needed to take a breath and continue to move with new forces. Fighting a sense of guilt for an unfulfilled five-year plan is not an easy task. Many modern people in the conditions of universal "success at any cost" now and then see irreversibly lost time and lack of their own development - this is a sign of an era with which we, apparently, live. Even if you manage to run ahead of the engine all the time, achievements are accompanied by growing paranoia. Stress can be reduced by occasionally giving yourself a break.
In English, there is the concept of gap year - the year of recess before entering a university or after its graduation (before looking for a job). Such a pause allows you to decide in your desires and relax a bit. Perhaps a whole year is too much, but try to take at least a gap day and see what comes of it: surely your family will cope without you, customers will not forget about your existence and the world will not collapse, but you will rest, slowly eat salad and maybe you will understand how to continue to live.
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