How to slow down in life and on the road

In the last two years, time has been…weird. It feels like some days fly by, while others feel like you’re doing the Time Warp—and let’s not forget (no pun intended) the days you can’t even remember. 

All this time flying by has left little room for practicing the art of slowing down. So let’s take things slowly by tapping into the importance of slowing down.

What happens when we rush things

No matter how scheduled your life may be, there’s that feeling of never having enough time in the day. It goes by too quickly. Around the clock we’re giving our attention to what feels like a million things, all while wishing for more time. 

Every day can feel like rush hour on repeat.

Getting wrapped up in the day-to-day can leave little room to consider how all of that busyness may be affecting you, mentally and physically.

Healthline provides a little insight into what it dubs as “hurry sickness” and how it may leave you unable to give attention to important things.

First, you’ll want to know how to recognize “hurry sickness” in the first place. Multitasking (aka the need to make the most of every second) can almost always leave room to neglect or forget about important things. 

So what happens when we rush things? Rosemary K.M. Sword, author and co-developer of time perspective therapy, gives insight into how this idea of hurry sickness can affect your emotional and physical health. Here are some signs to consider: 

• Speeding—both in your car and in conversations or meals

• Rushing through work tasks or household chores

• Performing time calculations to see if you can fit in another task

• Feeling irritable when you’re late

• Finding ways to save more time

• Running the endless to-do list in your head

Running from one place to another, getting through another to-do list. It can be hard to look at the big picture when it feels like life is going a million miles an hour. This rushing through life can leave feelings of stress, anxiety and even anger, Sword explains. 

“We might give ourselves a hard time when we drop the ball by doing a bad job or failing to finish what we were striving to complete in the impossible timetable we set for ourselves.” 

Rosemary K.M. Sword

Anger and stress behind the wheel are two emotions you’d want to avoid while driving. Anger can present itself as road rage, and stress can contribute to distracted driving. Which is why at HiRoad, we have a Distraction Free driving score—designed to help you reduce your risk of being involved in an accident and reward you for being mindful on the road.

So what’s the secret sauce to slowing down? How does slowing down help you on the road and at home?

The power of slowing down on the road

We’ll point out one of the more obvious benefits to slowing down on the road–driving at a safe speed which can lead to smooth driving. When you take the time to observe the speed limit and avoid the rush of traffic and a time-constricting schedule, you’re racking up the points in the HiRoad app through the Safe Speeds and Smooth Driving scores. 

When you slow down and are more present behind the wheel, you can actively engage with what is happening around you and focus less on the day-to-day stress that can come from living a hectic lifestyle. 

Let’s tap into the

how of slowing down while driving with these mindful practices you can do to help you be more present before and while you’re driving. Before you hit the pavement, start with mindful breathing to help alleviate any stress you may be carrying. It also doesn’t hurt to turn your phone off or set it to “Do Not Disturb” mode—avoiding those calendar reminders or the endless stream of work messages.

Let’s not forget that the right playlist can be the perfect segway to reaching a flow state of mind while driving. When you are putting some miles on the odometer, remember some of the more practical tips to slow down: 

• Observe the speed limit

• Avoid reckless driving

• Respect others on the road

• Accelerate, brake and corner smoothly

Now that we have that covered, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that what you do at home and in life can impact your decisions while driving. 

How to slow down in life

With so much happening around us, the way we perceive and handle our time is interesting, to say the least. And it doesn’t help that with technology leading our lives, it can be difficult to step away from the rush of life and slow down. 

Here are some ways you can slow things down because, honestly, you deserve it. (courtesy of Healthline)

Give your phone a much-needed break

Many of us count on our phones for a number of things: business calls, texting family members and friends, even answering the occasional email. But should that mean your phone is the boss of you? 

Your first step to taking things slow is to resist the urge to pick your phone up when you’re bored. When you show your phone who’s boss, you’re being intentional about when and what you use it for every day. Remember, when it’s off or sitting in your pocket, you’re opening the door for more presence. 

Take longer to do things, just because

Schedules and to-do lists are nice, but they don’t have to rule your ability to live in the moment and prevent you from focusing on the important things. We’re taught to be productive and efficient, but when you take extra time to do something for the sake of enjoying it, you’ll find that it allows room to appreciate the things you may have been missing. 

Is your current form of transit to work the more straightforward or faster option? Maybe, but consider walking or biking the same route (even if it adds 10-15 minutes), and get a new perspective on things. When your experiences are slowed down and fresh, you may find yourself in a better mood.

Let someone else go first

Just for the sake of it—let someone else go ahead of you. Is there someone else trying to merge? Let them in. Meet someone else at the store wanting the last of your favorite ice cream? Give them first dibs. 

This small practice of letting others go first is to train yourself to be more patient and let go of the little things.

Even when it may feel impossible and like you’re stuck in a Time Warp, the power of slowing down has its benefits on and off the road. Start today, take things slow and read more on why HiRoad insurance rewards you for taking the high road.

The information in this article was obtained from various sources not associated with HiRoad®. While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. HiRoad is not responsible for, and does not endorse or approve, either implicitly or explicitly, the content of any third party sites that might be hyperlinked from this page. The information is not intended to replace manuals, instructions or information provided by a manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional, or to affect coverage under any applicable insurance policy. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. HiRoad makes no guarantees of results from use of this information.