When You Slow Down, You Remember You Matter
There's a particular kind of restoration that only happens when you give yourself genuine permission to tend to yourself first.
I just returned from my first ever art retreat — a week of painting, being, and stepping away from the usual noise and into something quieter and more essential. Creative souls, personal expressions, laughter, tears, friendship. No schedule to keep, no emails to answer, no one needing anything.
I came home having stretched myself in new ways. Restored. More myself than when I left.
Not everyone can disappear for a week into creative expression — I know that. But the principle scales down beautifully. Even five minutes, entered into with intention, changes something.
Here's what I come back to when life gets loud:
1. Create a gap.
Thinking, planning, worrying… there's always something vying for attention, keeping us away from the experience of the present moment. Create thought-free moments throughout your day to allow your mind to rest. Take at least three slow, deep breaths — let your belly fully expand as you inhale and naturally contract as you exhale. Focus on your breath, nothing else.
2. Stop and listen.
Let hearing be your primary sense for a bit. What do you hear when you really listen? What do you hear below the obvious noise? Just be curious.
3. Step out into nature.
Engage your senses. Even if you can't go for a walk right then — feel the wind, the sunshine or rain, smell the air, touch the trees, plants or ground. The elements of nature are genuinely healing and balancing for the nervous system.
4. Check in with yourself.
How are you really feeling? Is an adjustment called for? What would feel nourishing right now? What is your body asking for? Tending to your own needs keeps you fulfilled so you can contribute from fullness rather than depletion.
5. Create technology-free time.
No phone, no computer, no television. Maybe an hour, maybe a day. As you move away from the constant stream of information and give yourself space to breathe, you'll find yourself wanting to express something — because that's who you are. A creative being with something to say.
6. Try a bit of art.
Before you deny any artistic ability, stop. It's not about the end result — it's about the process. Research has shown that art shifts the body's physiology from stress to deep relaxation, from fear to creativity. If you can draw a line and a circle, you can make art. A pencil and paper is all you need.
7. Dance.
Yes, you can. Especially in the privacy of your own home — dance and sing. Music creates different brain wave patterns, affects the autonomic nervous system, alters hormonal balance. Most songs are under five minutes. Enjoy a dance break. If you're at work, put on headphones and imagine you're dancing. Hum along.
None of these need to take long. None of them require you to have it all figured out first.
Start where you are. Even five minutes of genuine presence — a breath, a listen, a moment outside — is you choosing yourself. And that choice, made regularly, quietly builds a life that feels like yours.
Slowing down isn't indulgent. It's how we remember we matter.
If this resonates and you'd like more — I write about embodied living, inner work, and the rewilding journey each week at my Substack newsletter here https://injoy2day.substack.com/
Warmly,
Suzanne
