We are a very work-focused society. We want to show we are contributing, that we are competent, that we are worthy and we often guilt ourselves when we stop and take a break.
Our perception of time changes as we get older. When we are an infant, we have no perception of time. We don’t anticipate our next action, we only react to what is happening to us (e.g. hunger fills our belly, so we cry). When we are older we are less surprised by our environment and more focused on our next action. We, as humans, create shortcuts in our brains, to help us take routine action out of our thought process, so we can more easily function in a complex world.
For instance: Anyone who has learned how to drive knows, that when you were learning to drive, everything took longer. You had to go slower because your brain did not know all the actions it could easily take in all the possible scenarios. When you are more experienced at driving, you know where the buttons are, without looking down. So, I was on a test drive of a new 2025 Subaru Crosstrek. This is the same model of car I currently drive, but mine is many years older. When it came time to park the car, I reached down to engage the parking break, an unconscious action I take every time I park. When I pulled up on the brake, my hand only grasped air. There was no parking break, at least not where I expected it. My short cut to ensure my vehicle was securely parked, on any grade, had to be changed. My reaction was funny. I almost yelled out ‘oh’ in surprise and then laughed at the ridiculousness of my action. Then I spent the next few minutes evaluating the new layout and my future action requirements.
New things require us to slow down, survey the environment, evaluate the differences and decide on a path moving forward. This is valuable to healthy living. Taking a break, and enjoying the moment is often the prescription to being too busy.
Known and expected things, that are part of our routines and habits of doing what we always do, in a way we always do it, are times when we are not observing nor surveying, we are just doing. With this type of efficiency, we can get more done. We don’t need to slow down to figure out the differences. We are in ‘the Zone’. This is valuable for productivity.
For a full life, full of health and accomplishment, we need both. Here is one thing you can do to make time go slower and one thing to help you be more efficient.
Go Slower
Try something new – e.g.
- Read a new book: Maybe read a book in a different genre or by a different author.
- Walk a different way: Exploring new paths create new paths in your brain.
- Talk to new people: Try engaging in a conversation with someone new.
- Find a new hobby: Maybe just start the exploration process.
- Cook a new recipe: Invite others to try your creation and enjoy the shared experience.
Be More Efficient
Create a valuable habit
- Book a regular time: Do something you want to make happen by doing it routinely, like get to the gym every Tuesday and Thursday morning.
- Use a calendar: There is less worry and stress about getting things down, when you have set aside time to make it happen.
- Stop forgetting: Put items you regularly forget to do in your daily routine. e.g. Get up, brush your teeth, take your meds (because you’ve moved your medication into your bathroom, with your toothbrush.)
No one wants to be in a constant reactive state, always worried about future surprises. That would be overwhelming and would not allow for expertise and skill to develop. Inversely, no one wants to be so standardized and formulaic that serendipity and the joy of something new never comes to you. Find your happy medium, your equilibrium, your balance, between slower, guilt-free, rejuvenating moments and your faster, productive, in-the-zone time, to find the most amount of happiness from the work you do.
This article is 100% original content – The articles you read in this blog are 100% created by Barb Stuhlemmer, not by AI. © 2025 Barb Stuhlemmer
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