As Jack Johnson says in the lyrics of his song titled Inaudible Melodies: “Slow down everyone you moving too fast…”

Life moves fast, very fast and as a result we tend to be so focussed on the future that we forget to be mindful of the present. We are planning ahead, working towards the next big thing, filling our diaries weeks in advance. It is little wonder that the rate of frustration and stress is at an all time high. Anxiety levels are increasing. The average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950’s. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anxiety-files/200804/how-big-problem-is-anxiety) This problem is getting progressively worse.

If I rewind my life back a few years, I can see how I was running headlong into the path of high anxiety, stress and frustration. Not dealing with these issues lead to depression, which unmanaged resulted in a nervous breakdown and suicidal thoughts. Every morning I would wake up and charge headlong into the day and end up following the same road which ended in a big black hole. Day after day, month after month, charging forwards and ending up in the same dark place. From the outside things looked good, I had a stable job, a nice house, no debt other than my house repayments. I was on the path to success. I believed in what I did, and I was successful by my own standards, but the more successful I was the more stressed I was becoming and less satisfied with life. That did not matter though, happiness lives in the future. The future was just around the next corner.

Society has us working towards the elusive happiness that lives somewhere in the future. The bigger TV, that overseas holiday, the 6-figure bank account, the new car. We slave away at self-imposed prison sentences that keep us striving to be better than we were yesterday. Some people end up working so hard that they need to go to the pub or spend a weekend clubbing to relax, and then needing to work harder to save more money.

So 2018 has been a year of slowing down for me. Well, actually 2018 has been a year of starting back up from scratch. I am very mindful of what I am building and how I am going about building it. I started from nothing, not a single client. I just want to get out there and build up my practice, ready to invest the 16-hour days to get the cash flow rolling, but I am not doing that. I have worked hard at slowing down. Working realistic hours, living in the moment and being present to my thoughts, feelings and the task at hand. My default setting is still tuned to the old programming of working hard, fast and long, but I am able to quieten that voice and be present. It has not been an easy journey, but training for anything is never easy. I have taken to training my mind in the same way that an athlete trains their body for an event. The difference is clear. I am happy, relaxed, of clear mind and motivated to help other people.

My coaching is geared towards mindfulness and depression management solutions. If you are feeling stuck or frustrated with any aspect of your life and would like to discuss how working with a qualified coach can be of benefit to you, please get in touch with me and we can arrange a complimentary chemistry session to set you on your path.

How or what are you doing to slow down? Please comment below as I love learning new techniques.