Slow is the New Sexy

You probably get this answer all the time these days. When you ask someone, how are you?, he or she responds ''Busy''. As if being busy was some new hype word and everybody uses it to be trendy. Well, let me tell you something. Slow is 'the word' of today. Slow is the new sexy. So in this post I'm going to share some simple strategies how to stop being busy. Read on.

1. Slow down

This strategy might sound contra-intuitive, but stay with me. Have you noticed that when you try rushing through your day, it actually takes longer to finish things? Let's say you try to drink your morning coffee while responding to e-mails and you spill the coffee over your computer? You have to clean the mess, make a new coffee and get back to your work, so you actually spend more time responding to e-mails. It is the same with meals. We often don't pay attention to our food, we check social media while eating lunch and then end up with a stomach ache because our bodies did not metabolize the meal properly, so we have to leave work earlier to get rid of the stomachache. So, strategy number one is SLOW DOWN. No, I mean it, really. Concentrate on the task, stay in the moment. Enjoy your coffee, enjoy your meal.

2. Preparation is half the victory

I certainly did not invent this one. This strategy has been known for centuries, we just have to include it into our lives. Prepare the juice, the smoothie, the office lunch in advance. Be a batch making guru. Prepare kid's clothes and your clothes in the evening, so you don't have to go through the dirty laundry to get some clean looking and not too smelly socks.

3. Get help.

Not too long ago, there were times, when mothers had help. It takes a village to raise a child, remember? We mothers play superheroes too often and say, oh don't worry, I've got this, I can manage. Especially when planning a big dinner for holidays, planning anniversaries or parties, get help. There are many catering companies which will do the job perfectly. Money being the issue? Ask every invitee to bring a meal or a drink - a wonderful occasion to try some delicacies from other countries if you happen to live in an international environment.

4. Delegate.

Ask yourself these questions - does this need to be done? Does this need to be done by me? (thanks to this book, I ask myself these questions quite often). I ask my kids to prepare the table for dinner, unload the dishwasher, cut veggies. They love the responsibility! Delegate also as much as you can at work, don't play the nice girl who can do everything and ends up doing work for others. Did you know that there are actually people who teach other people how to say 'no'? (yep, I've been to a workshop like that).

I hope these strategies will help you to be less busy. So the next time I ask, how are you, you'll reply: Enjoying life, thank you!''