Signs You’re Ready to Break Free of the Productivity Trap and Embrace Living Slowly
Many women love the idea of living slowly. Yet it may also feel like something is holding them back from really embracing this slower, gentler approach to life. This totally makes sense. Woman often believe their worth is directly tied to what they do, especially for others, and how productive they are with their time, so letting go of that can feel scary and uncertain.
When caught in this productivity trap, women can feel hesitant about resting and moving more slowly through life. They feel guilty about not doing more. It seems the only way to feel loved, valued, and that they matter is by doing rather than being.
These women want to be gentle with themselves, but that can be hard to do when they feel they aren’t doing enough or doing things wrong. They feel pressure to constantly be busy. Yet they’re tired, and they’re tired of feeling tired. Their schedules are overly full, though not necessarily with things that bring them joy. They feel like life is rushing by, and despite all that they’re doing, they wonder if they’re missing it.
If any of this sounds familiar, know that you aren’t doing anything wrong. Approaching life from a place of productivity and doing can work. Yet many women come to realize that it’s no longer working for them. Instead they long for something else.
They want to
Let go of the heavy burden of productivity and all the doing, doing, doing
Feel valuable, enough, and worthy simply because they exist
Know they matter because they are human beings - not because of what they do
Move more slowly through life at their own pace
Allow their tired hearts and bodies to rest
Have moments to just be
Slow down and connect with nature and the seasons in simple ways
Honor their intuitive guidance, rather than do what everyone else is doing
Live a life that’s no longer focused on what they do
Open up room in their lives and schedules for joy, delight, and wonder
These longings are evidence that you’re already opening up to living slowly. To begin to embrace a slower, gentler life, remember you are - and always have been - enough. Doing less and moving through life at your own pace cannot change your worth. So honor and accept the life you’ve lived up to this point, and then take one small, gentle step forward, towards the life you want now.
