Summer Slowdown

Last month I went to visit my friend Susie Ferracciolo who is serving our US Troops at Ramstein Air Base near Landstuhl, Germany. Four of us (all neighbors) went to visit her to help her get through her 13 month tour before returning home. What an adventure!

(Here’s a picture of us in our hotel in Garmisch, Germany. Susie is next to me in the white shirt.)

The reason that I am telling you this is because something hit me when I was there that I felt I should share. The Germans, as well as many other Europeans, seem to take life a bit slower and allow more time for themselves, their families, and friends than we do here in the United States.

Noticing this, I decided to experiment and for one day adopt a part of the European philosophy here... by slowing down. I picked a day when I had tons to do. Instead of my usual rushing through traffic, I decided to let more people in front of me. Instead of sitting by my computer finishing up tasks after dinner, I held my daughter’s hand and we walked our dog for a half an hour. Whenever I felt like I was rushing through something or doing too many things at once, I stopped all and focused on one thing at a time. 

Do you know what I noticed? I noticed how often I do several things at one time and how little I remember of the doing. I saw that living each day in a state of semi-awareness was psychologically unsatisfying. I also realized that as much as multitasking can sometimes be unavoidable, that it does not always have to be my choice. 

Yesterday, I took more time for myself and my family, and yet I got more accomplished than I usually do. As counterintuitive as that seems, it was a big lesson for me. 

As much as our calendars, to-do lists, and deadlines are unavoidable aspects of modern life, making the conscious choice to slow down allowed me to appreciate life’s little achievements (instead of only the big ones). In the end, I think life is enhanced when measured more by the quality of each moment, rather than the quantity.

This month, why don’t you try this experiment yourself? And please let me know your results.

Have a wonderful summer!

Nicole