breathe... the world is not slowing down.

because i know your head and your back and your feet hurt.

Today, I opened the beaming red folder from my child’s backpack and shuffled through the pages to find the one I was most excited about. One after the other, I flung the papers until finally I reached the smiley face next to the word test.

My kid had done a great job. It was only right, because we’d studied so hard and practiced enough times that we both felt confident in their abilities. But as I sat with the paper between my fingers, there was an ache so deep in my heart I thought I’d need a medic. I rubbed away the pain as I realized what had just happened.

Time had just punched me in the chest.

And, frankly, it wasn’t a cheap shot. It ran off so fast, as it usually does, that I was left wondering… where’d it go?

Seriously, where’d it go?

This moment reminded me of how fast everything around us is moving. Just yesterday, my child was against my chest, mouth on my breast, drinking pure liquid gold. They were just trying to find their footing, placing one hard-bottom in front of the other. They just mumbled the word ‘Mama’ and I went insane. They literally just— learned not to poop on themselves. Or stick things in the socket. Or how to eat with a spoon. A fork.

My God.

Where’d it go?

The question circulated in my head long after we’d ventured home, eaten dinner, and bathed before heading off to bed. And, it wasn’t until I opened my Substack that I decided to write a note letting everyone who this post could possibly reach know how to avoid the haymaker time hit me with as I held that test in my hand.

Years feel like months.

Months feel like weeks.

Weeks feel like days.

Days feel like hours.

Hours feel like minutes.

Minutes feel like seconds.

And, seconds don’t seem to exist.

In the digital age we’re in, everything feels like a blur. We’re hardly experiencing anything, yet life is still happening.

Work consumes us to the point of exhaustion.

Social media steals hours of our precious time.

Weekends are more about resting than resetting, because there’s hardly enough time to do both.

Cable is becoming a thing of the past. There’s no more waiting for episodes. They are putting full seasons up at once.

The children are glued to their screens and growing at a rabbit’s pace while watching the lives of others play out in front of them.

Every moment must be captured on camera.

Everything is increasing in price, which means more work. More hours. Less rest. Hardly any time to stop and smell the roses in the garden where you planted seeds.

So, how do you catch your breath?

Visit a thrift store instead of the mall or an outlet.

Thrifting requires you to slow down. Pay attention. Feel the fabrics. Pick through the threads. Sift through the glassware. Wonder about the pieces and their stories. Explore new treasures that became someone’s trash. Discover diamonds in the rough.

Create a new playlist.

Take the time to curate something that melts your heart. It doesn’t matter the genre of music or the style of it. As long as it makes your body happy, then add it to your playlist. Each time you push play, time will somehow halt.

Go inside the ‘fast food’ restaurant or grab a spot in the parking lot.

Don’t speed out of the lot, down the road, and to a red light, hoping it lasts long enough for you to open your sauce. Take a moment to step inside. Grab a table and enjoy your meal. It looks much better on the table than spilled all over your lap. If going inside doesn’t interest you, take a moment to park. Eat your food and play your music. Fast food doesn’t have to feel fast or rushed or like anxiety or stressful.

Pull the digitals from your phone + print them.

Memory books that become bright and colorful stories through images are becoming a lost art. Create a new folder in your Photo album. Dump all the pictures you’d like to share with future generations into that folder. Visit a printer and have the images printed. Take your time and write dates, times, or small messages on the back of the images. Stuff them in the clear pouches and repeat the same steps every quarter.

Pick up a magazine.

I’m sure it’s been forever. Grab one. Flip through the pages and read up on what’s going on in the world. Or, flip to the back and find a crossword, word search, or something to keep your brain occupied and your fingers from scrolling. Sample a perfume. Check out the gift guide.

Keep a book in the bathroom (leave your phone in the bedroom).

If you want to get through a book or get back into reading, keep a book in the bathroom. Swap it for screentime! Open the book each time you sit down.

Number 1: One page.

Number 2: At least two pages.

Bake something sweet.

Saturdays and Sundays are the sweet spot for baking. Weekdays are full enough already. Decide on a dish by Friday night. Have your ingredients by Saturday morning. And, choose a delicate, scheduled time to bake something sweet that you’re certain you will enjoy. Baking is a task that requires your entire heart. You can taste it in whatever it is you’re making. It forces you to slow down, pay close attention, and use your critical thinking skills. Baking feels so outerbody; it should be studied.

Search for historical events/facts that are related to your birthday or birth year.

Educate yourself. Discovery is a gentle reminder that your time hasn’t been wasted. Reading and writing and scribing things in your memory somehow feels like the cure to slowing the speed on life’s treadmill. It forces us to sit with our thoughts, our curiosities, and get lost in the diminishing artistry of self-education. It’s the best rabbit hole to find yourself in.

Hand sew.

Something small. Something meaningful. Something to remember. Gifts sewn by hand are some of the most meaningful gifts to have and to give. Begin building your gift trunk for birthdays, graduations, holidays, etc.

Or, begin filling your home with hand-sewn pieces that halt everything around you at the sight of them.

• Dinner napkins

• Pillow cases

• Pillows

• Hand towels

• Aprons

• Table cloths

• Hot pads

• Decorative towels

And more things that won’t take more than an hour or two for construction. Not only will you feel a sense of pride when they’re in use, but you will remember just how deep and refreshing each breath was when you were creating them.

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Other ways to catch your breath not mentioned above:

• Have a picnic in the park

• Choose a day to do NOTHING

• Carve out time in your schedule to create (color, draw, write, etc)

• Have a cup of tea

• Find a spot in the closet, take time to gather yourself

• Watch your favorite television show (no need to binge. one episode a night can become the ritual you never knew you needed)

• Volunteer at an elderly home

• Take a walk