8 ways to slow down in the frantic pace of the city

1. Give up multitasking

Multitasking is not the super ability to do several things at the same time, but just constantly switching from one task to another. For example, prepare a report, check mail at the same time and reply to colleagues in a work chat.

According to the American Psychological Association's Multitasking: Switching Costs study, multitasking lowers productivity by 40% and interferes with concentration.

Due to the constant switching between activities, we feel tired and exhausted by the end of the day, although we did not do everything we planned.

Multitasking is harmful not only at work, but also in everyday life. Instead of focusing on one thing, we try to do everything at once. For example, at dinner we solve work issues, and during a walk with a child we flip through social media feeds.

To reduce the overall level of chaos and not feel like a squeezed lemon at the end of the day, learn to immerse yourself in the activity in its entirety and do it mindfully. For example, if you are walking - observe the scenery, smells, sounds, and if you are having dinner with your family - enjoy good company, the taste of food and a pleasant atmosphere.

2. Include in your schedule what is enjoyable

Sometimes there is no time in life for anything other than work. We put off our favorite things and hobbies for a while in order to finish a project, submit quarterly reports, or just look like a superhero in the eyes of others. But this is a trap: by giving up enjoyable activities that energize us, we drive ourselves into a funnel of exhaustion.

A funnel of exhaustion is a situation when there is nothing left in life except work and daily routine.

We give energy all the time without replenishing it, and at some point we reach the bottom: we feel apathy, hopelessness and indifference to everything.

To get out of the funnel, schedule time for relaxation and hobbies. For example, on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday you spend an hour on sports, on Friday you meet with friends after work. This is not a waste of time, but something that energizes and restores peace of mind.

3. Move to flexible working hours

According to Mental Health in the Workplace of the World Health Organization, inflexible working hours are one of the risk factors for human mental health. Indeed, the fear of being late only adds to the stress. You feel it most strongly in a metropolis during rush hours, when there are traffic jams everywhere, a crush on the subway and crowded streets.

Flexible hours or remote work solves the problem, although not everyone is available. Try to negotiate with your supervisor to shift the opening hours. For example, make the beginning and end of the day floating: come to work from 9 to 12, leave - from 18 to 22. If the profession allows, you can work remotely from home or the nearest coworking space.

4. Make a list of joy

We spend too much time tense. To take it off, make a list of joy. It includes simple things and actions that fill you with energy and lift your spirits. For example, having breakfast alone, walking around the city at night, taking a bath, or riding a bike quickly.

Take one action from the list when you feel powerless, angry, or frustrated. This will help you to come to your senses when there is chaos around.

5. Be in nature

Nature acts on us therapeutically: fresh air helps to cope with stress and fatigue, physical activity energizes Influence of Acute High-Intensity Aerobic Interval Exercise Bout on Selective Attention and Short-Term Memory Tasks, and natural sounds reduce stress levels. To relax, you don't have to go out of town - a city park or a shady square with a fountain will do.

If your day starts with stress at work, take your lunch break to the park. Regular walking will replace physical exercise and redirect your attention away from work problems to relaxing objects around you.

6. Watch your breath

There are situations when there are too many irritants nearby: someone's phone vibrates, endless notifications come in messengers, and colleagues knock them off their minds with their conversations.

The tension builds up, and you realize that you are about to break. In such a situation, you need to turn your attention to breathing.

The effectiveness of this method of calming down is scientifically confirmed. Biochemists from Stanford University proved The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults that there is a relationship between the depth of breathing and emotions: the faster and shallower a person breathes, the higher the degree of anxiety and tension. Deep and slow breathing relaxes and relieves tension.

7. Practice meditation

Meditation is a continuation of the paragraph on breathing, but, unlike it, it is a regular practice. She helps the Center for Mindfulness. Journal Articles and Publications to cope with stress, anxiety and loss of energy. If you make meditation a part of your life, it will allow you to find peace and harmony in the chaos in the midst of which we live.

The essence of meditation is to concentrate on the breath and follow the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation. This allows you to watch the appearance of thoughts in your head and stop fighting with them.

Meditation makes you aware that thoughts come and go, and you are not the same as your thoughts. If you do not succumb to their influence, they will burst like soap bubbles.

This applies to any anxieties and experiences that sweep over the course of the day. You don't have to sit in the lotus position to practice meditation. You can do it at the workplace, moving away from the back of the chair and putting your feet on the floor. If you're not sure where to start, try the Headspace app (in English).

8. Find a reason to smile

In our rush and everyday problems, we ignore the emotions and sensations in the body, although they affect our mood and thoughts. Try to clench your shoulders, lower your head and furrow your eyebrows and listen to how you feel. Then straighten up and smile - the sensations will be completely different.

Smiling can help you deal with stress. It causes the brain to release hormones of joy and reduce Neuroendocrine and stress hormone changes during mirthful laughter the production of stress hormones (cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine). Thanks to this, the body slows down the respiratory rate and heart rate, and the pressure decreases. Social laughter is correlated with an elevated pain threshold even when you smile forcefully (for example, out of politeness).

Therefore, in order to relieve tension, it is enough to watch videos with cats or laugh with colleagues in the smoking room - the brain will begin to produce hormones of joy, and you will feel that life is not as hopeless as it seemed five minutes ago.

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