Slowing Down, Simplified

Today’s Reflection

I’ve been reading (and even writing) more invitations to slow down during the holiday season. Winter brings with it that innate invitation to follow its pace – and to slow ours. As I continue to read this phrase and even sprinkle into my own writing, I finally paused to really unpack this concept.

What does slowing down really mean? 

We hear it a lot, especially this time of year. Yet it can often feel either too elusive, too overwhelming, or too out of reach. But slowing down doesn’t need to require a complete rearranging of your life – it can simply be choosing intention over autopilot.

Slowing down can be found in the smallest, most ordinary moments.

It could be leaving your phone in your pocket while walking down the street or waiting in line. Slowing down our distractions so we can look another in the eye and exchange smiles instead of distracted glances. 

It could be turning off notifications or turning down your ringer. Slowing down the constant pings that pull us away from the person (or the quiet moment) in front of us.

It could be leaving a little earlier to allow for potential “interruptions” from a neighbor or a stranger. Slowing down the hurry to create margin for meaningful conversation and connection with a cashier or a barista.

It could be staying a little longer to help wash the dishes instead of heading home to watch a show. Slowing down our digital defaults to serve another and show up in small ways that actually make a big difference.

It could be prayerfully wrapping presents and writing cards rather than rushing through seasonal “to-dos” to simply check them off the list. Slowing down our mindlessness to bring intention back into our gift-giving and celebrating.

It could be choosing to actually oil cleanse your skin instead of just collapsing into bed to offer yourself a moment to unwind, exhale and soften any tension before sleep. Slowing down our tendency to neglect ourselves (and our skin) when days feel full so we can carve out space for self-health.

These are the ways I’m slowing down this season – and I hope it inspires some practical ways you can slow down, too.

Sometimes with a phrase we hear so often, its meaning can start to become diluted, so my prayer for you this holiday season is that when you see the invitation or feel the nudge to slow down, may you pause. May you consider what slowing down could look like in that moment and rediscover that it can be simple, yet deeply soul-filling.

Today’s Ritual

Breath prayers are an ancient holistic practice that offer powerful benefits for your skin, soul and spirit. By grounding you in the present moment, they can help regulate your nervous system and realign your mind with truth. Take time today to intentionally inhale and exhale while meditating on the prompts below with each breath in, and each breath out.

Inhale: “I ground myself in this moment.”
Exhale: “I notice the beauty surrounding me.”
Inhale: “I release what rushes me.”
Exhale: “I receive what restores me.”

May today’s reflection and ritual offer you the encouragement to slow down in ways that work for you and receive the beauty, goodness and truth surrounding you this season.

Courtney xx