Winding down the pace of your life just a tad can make you happier and healthier. Here's how!
If you can learn to rush just a little bit less, studies show that you'll lower your risk for high blood pressure, have better relationships, and live longer! Wouldn't it be great to feel the sweet rewards of downshifting — here are some simple ways to take it slow.
Slow down to lose weight!
One surprising source of stubborn extra pounds: eating on the fly. Gobbling your food doesn't give your stomach the 20 minutes it needs to signal your brain that it's full, making it easy to unknowingly cram in more calories than you need. What's more, postponing lunch or dinner to finish that one last thing slows calorie burn. If your body can't predict the timing of its next meal, it's more likely to store calories as fat as protection against starvation. Instead of wolfing down a meal mindlessly while you're watching TV or catching up on e-mail, turn off the technology and really chew each mouthful mindfully, paying close attention to the flavors and textures!
Slow down to be a better mom!
It's not easy to truly connect with your kids when there are toys to pick up, meals to prepare, and endless other chores to get done around the house. But the less time you spend doing things with your children when they're young, the greater the odds that you'll run into family conflict — quarreling frequently about curfews, smoking, alcohol use — when they hit adolescence! For instance, instead of assembling lunchboxes at the kitchen counter while your children eat breakfast, sit at the table with them and chat for a few minutes while sipping your coffee. Or stop folding laundry for five minutes and help build a Lego castle. These short bursts of shared do-nothing time really count: They let children know they're valued and loved!
Slow down for a healthier heart!
If you fume in the face of any sort of delay, you may be putting your happiness and your heart health at risk. Those who hate to wait have an almost 50 percent higher risk of developing high blood pressure in the next 15 years compared with those who know how to Zen it! Keep your cool by distracting yourself and tuning into your senses. Pay close attention to how beautiful someone looks or how pleasing the texture or color of some object is. Take a minute to just be in the moment rather than feeling like your life is on hold.
Slow down to boost your energy!
Living at a frenetic tempo leads you to breathe in shallow, stressed gulps, depriving your brain and body of sufficient oxygen, a key source of energy. The result: constant exhaustion and anxiety!
Here's a snapshot of how hyper our culture has become:
- The average workweek is 47 hours — up from 34 hours two decades ago.
- There's no time for home-cooked meals: Children consumed 300 percent more food from fast food restaurants in 1996 than in 1977. Not surprisingly, one-third fewer families report regularly eating together today compared with three decades ago.
- Most of us get 90 minutes less shut-eye per night than our great-grandparents did.
- Almost 28 percent fewer families take vacations now than two decades ago.
- 55 mph was the national speed limit from 1973 to 1995; now, it's 65 mph to 75 mph in most states.
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