Do all your must-do’s very slowly

Do you also have an endless to-do list? If so, you probably rush through your day.

• The faster you do everything, the more you get done.
• And the more you multi-task, the more things you can tick off.

I would add one more: the faster you go from one task to another, the better.

I don’t allow myself any “in between” time.
Yesterday evening dinner was on the stove and I had just a few minutes to quickly put away the clean laundry upstairs. Well, I ran up the stairs taking two steps at a time. In the meantime, my thoughts kept racing: I mustn’t forget to make that phone call, the dog still needed to go outside, I definitely had to pay the bill as soon as possible…

The question is:  do we get more done if we do everything quickly, quickly, quickly and rush from one thing to the other?

Not necessarily.
It may surprise you, but if you want to be more productive, it’s good to slow down.

1. You’re more focused
2. When you slow down, you improve the quality of your work.
3. Doing something slowly also means that you don’t get tired as quickly.
4. Your brain doesn’t like multitasking. You are less efficient and it lowers your IQ. According to researchers at the University of Sussex, it damages your brain. 
5. If you allow your mind and your body to be ‘slower’, you will see things more clearly and make better decisions.
6. You are less stressed. Even though you have lots of tasks waiting for you, you feel more ‘in control’ and that reduces your stress.
7. You are more aware (mindful) of everything you do and everything around you. It colours your life!
8. You will live longer, because if you want to do everything quickly, the stress hormones cause your cells to age faster.

Tip for today
Instead of rushing your body and rushing your thoughts, do everything today super slow and pay attention to what you are doing: 

Enjoy the smell of your shampoo. Feel how your clothes feel against your skin when you put them on. Smell the delicious scent of coffee before you taste it. Hear the sound of the door as you open it. See new things while driving much slower. Take a few breaths in between your activities.

And I’m sure you’ll get just as much done,
but with a much better feeling!