The Toll of Rushing

We all know what it feels like to rush. I'm not sure anyone would say that it feels good! Yet, how many of us find ourselves in a state of rushing to get somewhere, to do something, to get through something, even things we like to do like eating or showering? Many of us find ourselves here more often than we want to and more often than is healthy for us. If you are nodding in agreement with this one, you are not alone and it needs no judgement or shaming. Above all, it needs self-love and then the deep conviction to want to help oneself stop. 

We rush our physical bodies through space getting from here to there. We rush through our lives to get to the next moment, the next goal, the next enjoyable thing. We rush other people (our kids, older people, animals, other people in their cars (think of honking horns when someone doesn't turn fast enough or getting mad when someone wants to turn left and we have to wait). We even rush our breath. A great question to ask is, "what are we ultimately trying to get to?" Seriously, do we really want to rush this moment of living to get to the end? Probably not. So, how do we put an end to rushing? 

1) We need to be honest and recognize how bad it actually feels. Take a pause and ask yourself, "what does it feel like in my body and mind when I am in a state of rushing -- when I feel late and start hurrying my actions, my words, my thoughts, other people?" Close your eyes and feel the sensations in that state. Describe them to yourself. What happens to your breathing, your musculature, your posture, your vision

For me, it is very clear. My breathing gets shallow and fast. My body tightens especially around my chest. My vision gets narrow. My posture can do one of two things -- my lower back will either arch in hyper extension (literally pushing my chest forward into the world) or my upper body will round with my abdominals and chest coming toward each other in a deep contraction. My mind feels singularly focused in a very closed stance. All to say, it feels bad and very far from the relaxed, spacious, open, easy, balanced, calm state I'd prefer to live in.

2) Once we admit what it feels like, we see clearly that when we rush, our nervous system gets taxed; we exhaust our adrenals and cause ourselves suffering. We change this when we are done beating ourselves up and we are done causing stress to those around us. When we rush, accidents happen, the wrong words come out, we stop listening and seeing, feelings get hurt, the body suffers. The more we grow in having a reverence for life, the more we want to take care of the lives that are here, including our own. We will want to change.

3) Meditation and living with more presence facilitates this change because we practice thinking, feeling, sensing and not reacting. Not everything goes at the speed or on the timetable we want it to. In fact, most things don't and we can strengthen our acceptance, adaptability, and patience. We can find the grace in being able to slow down, be present, let go, and enjoy the moment we have.

I used to be really good at rushing. These days, I don't like how it feels so much so that I have gotten better about it. It's a work in progress. I have found that it takes time to switch gears (literally), but why wouldn't I want that for myself and those around me when I understand what's at stake? The adrenaline rush of getting a lot done in a hurry isn't worth it anymore. Life goes fast enough.

May you find relief and joy in the practice of going slowly through your week.

🌼
Jean