Now more than ever, I crave moments of peace in a world that is just so loud and cluttered. I feel like different things are constantly being thrown at me and it can be hard to keep up. It is exactly why sometimes you need to slow down. Pause. Breathe. Take it in and then come back at it.

There is pressure to always be working on something.  Lockdown although kind of forcing us to pause, also added so much more to worry about, making slowing down feel harder. It added to the challenges we may have already been facing. Changed everything as we knew it. But, recently I have realised that we don’t have to do everything at such a fast pace.

Life is short, but there is still time.

We all seem to be conditioned that there is one path and one way of getting somewhere when that isn’t the case. That we can't take a longer route because that is a slower route and everything needs to happen now and quickly. However, we can slow down and still make it. We can take life in, process it, enjoy it, and still do what we want to do. The difference is we will save ourselves stress and not miss out on the journey. Sometimes there is so much focus on the result, that we forget that slowing down and enjoying the journey is OK. Because at the end of the day, it is about the journey and what you learn, how you grow, what you take away that is more important than the result.

Nature grounds you.

Taking walks in nature is the main grounding point at the moment that helps slow my thoughts down. It is reassuring to know that no matter what happens, the sun keeps rising 🌞, the seasons continue to change 🍂🍁 and the world carries on. Capturing photos of autumn, which is beautiful, has added a sense of normality I so desperately crave. It has made me slow down by taking in my surroundings. When I am looking at the beauty in nature and watching animals carry on like nothing has happened, it makes me stop.