Ep 22. Slow Down to Speed Up: How Space Makes You More Effective, Present, and Sharp

Episode Show Notes

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I used to be addicted to being busy. The more I stuffed in, the better I felt. Until it all became too much and I felt suffocated instead. 

I remember one day when I was studying at Uppsala University, I was 24. At the time I was vice president of the student union, so on top of all the studies and parties, I had a huge amount of meetings and other commitments. 

And one day, I accidentally dropped my phone in the toilet and flushed!

Pooff, and it was gone!

Probably from doing so much multi-tasking.

But the crazy thing was that instead of panicking that my life-line was gone, I started laughing hysterically. 

I was so relieved that I couldn’t be reached for at least a few days, until I managed to get a new phone. 

That constant feeling of being haunted, where I wasn’t in control of my own schedule, and not seeing the end and a break, made me go bananas. 

And so many of those things I loved, and had chosen myself! And still, it made me totally exhausted. 

This was the time leading up to my first mini-burnout, and a few years later, I crashed for real. 

In hindsight, I can see all the things that led to that, but not at the time. I had no idea how to slow down and take care of myself. 

Today, we're diving deep into a topic that's close to my heart – the art of slowing down to speed up.

That is; how to find space & rest in a busy schedule, to own your time, so you can continue performing at a high level, and maybe even higher? 

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Hi ladies, 

What did you think of when you heard the story of the phone flushed down the toilet? 

Did you panic at the thought of it? 

Or would you also have found some kind of relief? 

Being addicted to busyness is an epidemic of huge proportions. 

And I can still fall into that sometimes if I don’t pay attention. 

It’s so easy to believe that we can always squeeze in one more thing. And once that is finished, then I will get to rest. 

But the thing is, that time never comes! I will never finish my to-do list so if I wait to take a break until everything is done, I will wait until I die. 

So we get to take ownership of our health and schedule. 

At stress rehab, we learned to rest BEFORE activities. That was the craziest idea I had heard, but it’s something that stuck with me, and that I still do to this date. 

And that I teach my VIP clients to do as well. 

For me, that is to take a walk in the woods and meditate before I start working. 

For exactly that reason. If I wait to meditate and walk until everything is finished, I will never get to the resting part. And it will be pitch dark by then.

As a coach and wellbeing specialist for high-achieving women leaders, I often see how the relentless pursuit of success can lead to burnout, stress, and a loss of that inner brilliance. 

So today, we're going to explore how creating space and rest in your life can make you more effective, present, and sharp.

But before we jump into that, I have something exciting to share. I've designed a short, high-impact 6-week group coaching program called "Balance & Brilliance." 

It's all about helping you find that delicate balance between ambition and self-care. Stick around until the end of the episode for more details on how this program can transform your life.

Alright, let's get back to our main topic: slowing down to speed up. 

In today's fast-paced world, it might seem counterintuitive, but it's an essential concept for high-achievers.

You can use the analogy of charging your phone. You need to do that everyday, and even more if you use it a lot. So you can see rest as the same thing for you. The more you use your brain and body, the more it needs to rest to restore the energy that you have used. 

So, why is slowing down so important? It's because when we're constantly rushing, we lose touch with our true selves. 

We become reactive rather than proactive. 

But here's the secret – by creating space in your life, you can regain control and boost your effectiveness.

Here are some practical steps to slow down and speed up your life:

1. Planning & time blocking
In a busy day, it’s easy to get straight to work. But taking a few minutes on Sunday or Monday to plan your week ahead can do wonders. And this is where you allow time and space to breaks, exercise, lunches. Take ownership of your own calendar, otherwise everyone else will. 

I remember when I used to have over 25 meetings per week, many of them back-to-back. This was the time leading up to my burnout. 

I thought this was making me more productive, but it just made me extremely exhausted. There was no way I could have been present in those meetings. 

You are not a robot and your brain is not benefitting from pretending to be one.

Something I support my VIP clients with is blocking time in their calendars for focus work, breaks, lunch, and emergencies. As a leader, you will have fires to put out, and if there is no space for that, you will be the fire to put out soon. 

2. Start your day in a calm way.
One of those time blocks could be at the start of your day. Before you open the laptop or phone for the first time in the morning, do a few minutes of breathing or meditation. This will support you for the rest of the day, to be less reactive and more responsive. 

I notice a massive difference when I skip my morning meditation and jump straight to work. I multi-task a lot more and get more scattered focus. 

So a morning routine of waiting to check emails or social media until a certain time, will support you a lot and make the brain less dependent on more stimulation. 

3. Journaling and reflection
Same here, taking a few minutes at the end of the day or week to reflect on what worked this week, and what did not work. You can also add what you learned or realized. This will insert learning and development into your daily routine, which signals where you would like to focus going forward.

4. Spend time in nature
Nature is the best healer, and getting outside every day is the nicest gift to yourself. It’s like giving your brain and body a soft and loving hug of kind impressions and fresh air. Go for a walk or a run, preferably without anything in your ears.

5. Digital detox.
You don’t need to throw your phone in the toilet to get this, even if it was effective. But make it a daily or at least weekly practice to put your phone on flight mode, and just notice what happens. If you cringe from the idea of this, it’s a sign that you will truly benefit from it.

6. Practice being present wherever you are
Being present means rest for the brain. Focusing on one thing at a time is healing. When you're fully present in the moment, you make better decisions and perform at your peak.

7. Do things slower
If you are used to walking fast, slow down. Talking fast, talk slower. Do the dishes fast? Do them slower. Do you always take over the other cars because they are too slow? Change lanes. See this as an experiment and see what happens. Pay attention to your sensations and give what you are doing your full attention. This is mindfulness in practice, and will give you recovery in the moment. And you will also notice any unnecessarily stressful behavior.

And if you feel now, yes, yes this sounds good, but where do I start? 

I’ve got you. 

My "Balance & Brilliance" program that I mentioned earlier starts soon. In this 6-week journey, we'll dive deep into these strategies and more, helping you find the balance you've been craving while nurturing your inner brilliance. 

Send me a DM for more information or sign up for my private email list. 

We will take on all of these things, and support you to implement healthy habits that will insert rest and recovery into your busy life. 

So you can be even more productive with your time and manage your energy. 

I hope you've found inspiration in the idea of slowing down to speed up. 

This is what I mean with my sign-off phrase; “take care of yourself, and go be a badass”

Cause that’s what it’s about, when you do that, you have more to give to the world, and yourself. 

If you want to be the first to know when I release the spots, get on my private email list.

Until next time, take care of yourself and go be a badass!