31 Jul Reacting Slowly Can Bring You More Peace

Have you ever wondered how can I get peace in life?

Have you ever wondered how you made so many mistakes in life?

You might blame it on a lack of self-discipline or on being less present.

But the truth is that we need to slow down a lot more. The old but gold cliche “Think before you speak ” can actually be applied to anything. If you have some ideas, give it a few minutes and become curious about how it makes you feel. If you want to say something when you are emotional, take a few seconds to let your words sink in before replying.

Learning to think rather than react first is a slow process. It takes a long time to cultivate this life-changing habit but the benefits will be more than worth it. You will slowly start to realize that you don’t regret as much as you did before, and you can explore certain sensations that you take for granted from time to time. Your life will also become much happier when you know you’ve thought things through.

If you’re feeling like this process will take a long time, then just imagine this:

You want to buy something that’s costly, it’s on sale and there’s a mad rush from people wanting the same things you like. You take 30 seconds to slow down and think if you really really need the product, instead of reacting to the sale.

Trust me, I’ve done this and I’ve saved myself from 1) buying the wrong products and losing sleep over it and 2) buying something I “want” instead of ” need “.

Or, if you have work to do and at the same time, you get an urge to watch a serial for only 30 minutes: thinking about the consequences will definitely shine a light on what’s the best move for right now, which ripples into your near future.

Slowing down doesn’t mean that you aren’t thinking on your feet. If something unexpected requires your quickest response, then you can deal with it at that point in life. But for now, try to move as lightly as a feather soaring up and down in the calm wind. Slowly moving from one place to another with a gentle grace.

Nehita Abraham

Nehita is a mindfulness expert who writes extensively on lifestyle management, wellness and ways to lead a healthier and a happier life. She is a part of Aware’s expert team on meditation. She is also an avid artist who spends most her time dribbling amazing stories through art.