Do you ever feel bombarded from all sides, overwhelmed by the constant influx of messages and demands? Feeling that you should be working harder and faster just to keep up. It’s a way of working that’s often celebrated. But should it be?
It is so easy to get caught up in what I call push energy, but it gets in the way of what you really want to achieve: getting ahead of the game, solving problems and finding solutions. Many of the clients I work with have been living this way for so long that it’s become part of who they are that it’s hard to see how counterproductive it really is.
Persistently pushing forward takes a toll on your whole body. It can leave you in a constant state of alert, flooding your system with cortisol and adrenaline. Your brain becomes restless and unfocused, and decisions become more reactive than considered. Exploring a wider range of options, which takes attention and effort, is almost impossible.
It’s tough to choose a different path when everyone around you seems to be succeeding this way, at least on the surface. Yet McKinsey (2018) found that when top teams slow down, they eventually go deeper and faster in reaching their goals. They handle complexity and challenges better and use less energy. That constant pressure to deliver quick results, along with the high levels of stress hormones that go with it, is exhausting for your mind and body. The sad thing is you are only accessing a fraction of your capabilities.
Slowing down isn’t about doing less or abandoning your goals and deadlines. It’s about a different kind of productivity and may seem counterproductive. You may even feel guilty even thinking about using your time this way. But when you calm your nervous system, you expand your ability to think deeply, consider new possibilities, gain clarity and make better decisions both at work and at home. To use the full extent of your mastery.
I’ve seen this in my own coaching. One client used to wake up every morning already feeling overwhelmed. Letting go of push energy was hard, but it changed everything. She stopped comparing her path to others, felt more confident in their own values and measures of success and found a calmness and lightness she never expected, or could have imagined. She started living in the present instead of chasing a future she didn’t even want.
Self Leadership in Action
One of the most powerful things you can do each week is to make space for thinking:
- Set aside time on purpose. Don’t just hope for a gap in your diary; block it out.
- Decide how you want to use that time. Instead of setting a specific goal, set an intention for how you want to approach a situation. Intentions point you in a direction rather than locking you into a destination.
- Get yourself ready. Maybe take a short walk, do a breathing exercise or move to a different spot before you start. The best ideas often show up when you’re not sitting at your desk.
Slowing down offers you the power to move through life with greater clarity and purpose. My Spiral Approach was designed to give you the time and space to increase your self‑awareness, explore new possibilities, take aligned action and find fulfilment. Each loop of the spiral brings you closer to yourself and to the life you want to lead.
In a world that rarely stops spinning, choosing to slow down is a radical act of self‑care, and a powerful way to reclaim your time, your attention and a more vibrant life.
If you want to know more about my unique spiral approach click here
