Slow Down and Smell the Roses for Better Health
By Genevieve Cunningham
We live in a fast-paced world. New York minutes are no longer reserved for the big city. In a world where we’re connected to people across the country, across the world even, in less time than it takes to microwave a TV dinner, time is scarce and shorter than ever. While being busy and enjoying life can certainly be a good thing, it’s not always a good thing to be quite so busy. Sometimes being too busy can actually be detrimental to your health. If this sounds a bit like your life at the moment, take a look at these reasons to stop and smell the roses just a little bit every day.
A Faster-Paced Life Can Lead to Excess Stress Levels
Sometimes a fast pace is necessary. There are definitely times in life when we have to fit more activities and obligations into a shorter span of time. But this shouldn’t be all day every day. When we push ourselves to get more and more done in less time, we’re only adding to the stress that is already present in our lives. Stress is OK in moderation, but when it reaches excessive amounts, it can lead to weight gain, insomnia, headaches, high blood pressure, and a heightened risk for serious disease. Why allow your body to get so stressed that it turns against itself when all you have to do is slow down and breathe a little deeper?
More, More, More Can Be Detrimental to Mental Well-Being
There is more mental illness in today’s world than there has ever been before in the history of man. While this could certainly have to do with our ability to diagnose these problems properly, it may also have to do with the lifestyles that we lead. We’re always feeling pressure to do more, be more, own more, buy more. We look around and see that everyone else is doing it all! Why can’t we get it together? But these images are not true. The perfect lives that we see from others are just a glimpse, and not a full picture, of what their life is like on a daily basis. Slow down, stop comparisons, and enjoy your life as it comes.
Uncertainty and Inconsistency Lead to Addiction
In a world that demands perfect success and endless participation, it’s normal to feel a bit uncertain and overwhelmed. A little bit of uncertainty in life is expected and can even be good for you. But when your entire life is inconsistent, we begin to look for ways to calm the storm … and for many this means turning to addiction. Addictions to drugs, alcohol, television, and technology are real and present dangers in our lives. Some experts agree that if we were allowed to slow down and get out of the madness for a while, we might see this out-of-control level of addiction decline.
We’ve all been told to stop and smell the roses. We know that life passes quickly. We know that moments are fleeting. But are we really listening? Make slowing down a priority. Allowing yourself some time to breathe may save your health and your life in the long run.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.