8 Reasons To Slooow Down - 1

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WebMD Feature from "Redbook" MagazineBy Janis Graham

Winding down the pace of your life just a tad can make you happier and healthier. Here's how!

The Hurried Woman Syndrome. The good news: If you can learn to rush just a little bit less, studies show that you'll lower your risk for high blood pressure, have better relationships, and live longer. And no, you don't have to overhaul your schedule. "Slowing down just a few moments a day can be beneficial to your health," says Frederic Luskin, Ph.D., coauthor of Stress Free for Good. Below, the sweet rewards of downshifting — and simple ways to take it slow.

1. Slow down to lose weight.
One surprising source of stubborn extra pounds: eating on the fly. Gobbling your food doesn't give your stomach the 20 minutes it needs to signal your brain that it's full, making it easy to unknowingly cram in more calories than you need. What's more, postponing lunch or dinner to finish that one last thing slows calorie burn, according to a British study: If your body can't predict the timing of its next meal, it's more likely to store calories as fat as protection against starvation.

How to take it slow: Instead of wolfing down a meal mindlessly while you're watching TV or catching up on e-mail, turn off the technology and really chew each mouthful mindfully, paying close attention to the flavors and textures, suggests Elizabeth Somer, R.D., author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet. You'll learn to appreciate that eating is feeding your body and spirit. "And when you don't eat on autopilot, you naturally eat a little less," says Somer. Think about it: If you realize you're full before taking those final few bites and drop your fork, you may cut out as many as 100 calories a day — which is all it takes to drop 10 pounds in a year. So give yourself at least 20 minutes to enjoy a meal.

2. Slow down to be a better mom.
It's not easy to truly connect with your kids when there are toys to pick up, meals to prepare, and endless other chores to get done around the house. But the less time you spend doing things with your children when they're young, the greater the odds that you'll run into family conflict — quarreling frequently about curfews, smoking, alcohol use — when they hit adolescence, according to a study from the Netherlands.

How to take it slow: You don't necessarily need more time with your kids; you simply need to use the time you do have a little differently — namely, by focusing your full attention on the little moments. For instance, instead of assembling lunchboxes at the kitchen counter while your children eat breakfast, sit at the table with them and chat for a few minutes while sipping your coffee. Or stop folding laundry for five minutes and help build a Lego castle. These short bursts of shared do-nothing time really count: They let children know they're valued and loved and keep you in touch with the fulfilling joys of motherhood — plus, they pave the way for better communication when your kids hit their turbulent teens.

3. Slow down to make your sex life sizzle.
Chronic hurrying can raise levels of stress hormones that suppress your body's production of dopamine, a "feel-good" brain chemical that plays a key role in regulating your libido, according to Bost. As a result, you may find most nights that you're far more interested in snoozing than in sex. Needless to say, skipping the foreplay just so you can get to sleep sooner can also make for a pretty ho-hum sex life.

How to take it slow: The key to nudging your desire back to normal is simple: Before burrowing down into your pillow, take one minute to touch your husband's hand, look into his eyes, and say something, whether it's "How was your day?" or "I love you." Communicating with each other at the end of a busy day enhances intimacy, says Bost — and the closer you feel to him emotionally, the more you'll want him physically.

4. Slow down for a healthier heart.
If you fume in the face of any sort of delay, you may be putting your happiness and your heart health at risk. Those who hate to wait have an almost 50 percent higher risk of developing high blood pressure in the next 15 years compared with those who know how to Zen it, according to a Northwestern University study.

How to take it slow: The next time you feel yourself freaking out because the woman in front of you at the post office is taking ages to choose her stamps, say something calming to yourself, such as, In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter if my errand takes an extra two minutes. "When you think positive thoughts, your body and mind quickly relax," notes Luskin. Keep your cool by distracting yourself and tuning into your senses. Pay close attention to how beautiful someone looks (that baby being cradled nearby or a woman having a great hair day) or how pleasing the texture or color of some object is. Take a minute to just be in the moment rather than feeling like your life is on hold.

5. Slow down to boost your energy.
Living at a frenetic tempo leads you to breathe in shallow, stressed gulps, depriving your brain and body of sufficient oxygen, a key source of energy. The result: constant exhaustion and anxiety, says Luskin.

How to take it slow: Count to four while inhaling through your nose, then count backward from four to one while exhaling through your mouth. Pay attention to your belly — it should rise as you breathe in and fall as you slowly breathe out. Practice this every day, whenever you can remember (at your desk, in the shower — or in that line at the post office). It can help improve oxygen intake, lower your blood pressure, and amp up your energy level.

6. Slow down to get ahead at work.
Hurrying to finish projects at work, scheduling back-to-back meetings, and constant multitasking not only kill employees' creativity but also reduce their productivity, according to studies published in the Harvard Business Review. So much fast-moving activity allows no time for reflection (the source of creative solutions) and increases the odds that your work will be sloppy or that you'll make mistakes.

How to take it slow: Swap frenzied activity for focused action: Ask yourself, What should I do first? to determine which project is most important, then tackle it — and fight the tendency to jump back and forth between it and other to-do's. "Keep your eyes on the goal and you'll be able to give each task the time and attention required," says Jan Jasper, a productivity consultant in New York City. As an added perk, you'll have a greater sense of accomplishment at the end of the day and probably feel a whole lot calmer, too. You'll finish one or two tasks completely, rather than get four or five things partially done — which only leaves unfinished business hanging over your head.

7. Slow down for better fitness.
More and faster crunches and biceps curls aren't the key to greater strength, endurance, or calorie burning, according to a Journal of Sports Medicine study. In fact, women who did resistance-training two to three times per week using a superslow protocol (10 seconds lifting, four seconds lowering) had a 50 percent greater increase in strength after eight weeks compared with those who pumped iron at the normal, faster pace (two seconds up, four seconds down).

How to take it slow: Try the superslow protocol described above for strength. And if you're trying to increase your distance on the treadmill, slow your pace by about one minute per mile — you'll find you can easily add half a mile. Then, over time, gradually ratchet the tempo back up for the entire run.

Remember, too, that slower activities can burn serious calories. For example, those who practiced yoga regularly for four years were 80 percent more likely to maintain their weight and almost 400 percent more likely to lose pounds than those who didn't do yoga, according to a recent study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Yoga is also calming and helps you live more mindfully even when you're not practicing, which makes it easier to recognize when you start slipping into overdrive throughout the day.

8. Slow down to travel safely.
The leading cause of death in women under age 35 is accidents, mainly car accidents. And one third of all fatal crashes are due to speeding. In fact, driving over 69 mph more than doubles your risk of a fatal car accident, according to a recent Canadian study.

How to take it slow: Easing off the gas pedal is the obvious first step. But how do you fight the urge to stay in the fast lane? Practice the mindful breathing technique described in the "Slow Down to Boost Your Energy" section above. Surf your radio for relaxing tunes. And remember this: If you continue to push the envelope by driving 15 mph over the speed limit, you may get pulled over for speeding, which means you'll end up being late and probably paying a hefty fine — not to mention potentially thousands of dollars in higher car insurance premiums. Just force yourself to get in the car 10 to 15 minutes earlier instead — your health is worth it.