To his credit, my father never owned a smartphone. Or a laptop. And he rarely used the internet over the past twenty years of his life.

Instead, he could always be found on his easy chair reading newspapers or magazines (the physical kind, like you’re holding). He wasn’t afraid of technology; he just preferred life as he always knew it: something to be savored.

In large part, this seems to be missing from American society today—and we’re paying the price. Everyone is “connected,” and yet loneliness is considered an epidemic for both adults and schoolchildren. Depression and anxiety have skyrocketed in recent years, and attention spans have gotten shorter and shorter. The COVID-19 pandemic has made many of these realities even worse.

Fortunately, the ultimate answer to help this situation may be right in front of us: slowing down.

Why to consider a slowdown

Hitting the brakes on the nonstop hustle and bustle of everyday life can make life more rewarding in several ways.

Physical and mental health benefits

We all know how stressful life can get. In fact, “hurry sickness” is actually a thing: an informal condition that always compels you to be doing. Unfortunately, embracing it can hurt you mentally (by adding stress to your brain) and physically (by adding stress to your heart). So it makes perfect sense that living at a slower pace can lower stress and blood pressure while promoting an overall sense of calmness.

Practical benefits

It seems counterintuitive in a hectic nine-to-five (or six) society, but research shows that if you think through things clearly instead of always rushing, it allows you to make better decisions and become more efficient. Also, slowing down can help you foster better work and home relationships since you’re setting aside time to prioritize other people. In addition, It also provides the opportunity to appreciate the present instead of always striving for the next thing, allowing you to see the world with an entirely new fresh set of eyes.

How to slow down

It may seem like this is all easier said than done. But keep in mind that our brains are innately designed to process information—but not necessarily at such a breakneck pace. Here are some suggestions to help you slow down and take it all in.

Manage your mornings

With our days crammed with to-do lists from start to finish, spare time can be sparse. So before your day begins, savor it. Meditate or walk before anyone else is awake. Enjoy that cup of coffee. Talk to your kids, spouse, or roommate over breakfast (and ignore their quizzical looks).

Slow down intentionally

If you’re one of those people who tends to see a Google Maps trip estimate as a challenge to beat, you’re missing out. Slowing down allows you to not only increase safety but also enjoy the scenery. You may not literally stop to smell the roses, but you’ll likely be surprised by how you appreciate everything around you much more.

Forgo your phone

Well, not entirely. But you should take steps to ensure you control it rather than it controlling you. After all, depending on the source you look at, people spend anywhere between around three to six hours a day on their devices—that’s the equivalent of dedicating around one to two days per week. To help remedy this, you can designate phone-free times two or three times a day, which can be especially fruitful if you do so with your kids.

Embrace work-life balance

Have you ever noticed that the compound adjective above lists work first? That in itself is somewhat telling about the American mindset, but the tide is turning. Survey after survey shows workers today rejecting the once-revered “hustle culture” where having the most weekly hours worked is a badge of honor. Today, it’s more the norm to want a better balance, so if you live to work rather than work to live, consider ways to shift some weekly hours from your employment to your enjoyment.

Get creative

Finally, one of the tried-and-true ways to truly enjoy a slower-paced life is to take up artistic endeavors. Whether you break out your canvas and oils, strum on your acoustic guitar, escape in a book, or create your own worlds in video games, partaking in creativity takes time—and many people are more than happy to earmark spare time to such pursuits. You just need to take steps to ensure that you do.

Life in the twenty-first century, in some respects, is a double-edged sword. Countless people now have the world at their fingertips, but that luxury tends to rob us of real relationships, experiences, and connections. Consider slowing down your pace, even if it’s just every once in a while—you may be surprised by how many rewards you reap.