I was losing my shit, honestly.
Running around like a headless chicken every single day, thinking if I just moved faster, did more, squeezed more hours out of the day, I’d finally get on top of things. What a joke.
When Everything Falls Apart
You know when you’re so tired you can’t even think straight anymore? That was me for months. Years, actually. I’d wake up already stressed about my to-do list, spend the day running from one thing to another, and collapse into bed wondering why I felt so empty despite being “productive.”
I was that person who ate standing up, answered emails while brushing teeth, and felt guilty for sitting still for five minutes. Pathetic, right?
But everyone around me was doing the same thing, so I figured this was just… life. Adult life. The price of being successful or whatever.
Then one morning I’m rushing to get dressed and I literally couldn’t remember what I was supposed to do that day. Not just forgot my schedule – I mean my brain went completely blank. Like someone had unplugged me.
I sat down on my bed still holding one shoe and just… cried. Ugly cried. Because I realized I hadn’t actually lived a single day in months. I was just surviving them.
The Stupidly Simple Thing That Changed Everything
So I tried something radical. I slowed the hell down.
Not all at once – God knows I tried that before and it lasted about three days. But little by little, I stopped treating my life like an emergency.
First thing I did was give myself permission to walk like a normal human being instead of speed-walking everywhere like I was being chased. Sounds dumb but I swear it made a difference. My shoulders actually unclenched.
Then I started eating breakfast sitting down. Revolutionary, I know. But instead of shoving cereal in my mouth while checking my phone, I actually tasted my food. Weird concept.
The biggest change? I stopped filling every single second with something. If I had ten minutes between calls, instead of frantically trying to squeeze in another task, I’d just… exist. Look out the window. Breathe like a normal person.
What Actually Happens When You Stop Being Insane
Here’s the thing nobody tells you – when you stop running around like a maniac, your brain starts working again. Like, actually working.
I could remember conversations. I could focus on one thing for more than thirty seconds without my mind jumping to seventeen other things. Problems that seemed impossible when I was stressed out became totally manageable when I wasn’t in constant panic mode.
My friends started commenting that I seemed more present. One of them said I actually listened when she talked instead of just waiting for my turn to speak. Ouch, but fair.
Even my work got better. Turns out when you’re not constantly overwhelmed, you make fewer stupid mistakes. Who would’ve thought?
The Hardest Part
The hardest part wasn’t learning to slow down. It was dealing with the guilt.
I felt lazy when I wasn’t constantly busy. I felt like I was falling behind when I took time to think before acting. I felt selfish when I said no to things that would’ve stressed me out.
But here’s what I figured out – all that rushing around wasn’t actually getting me anywhere. I was just creating the illusion of progress while burning myself out.
Taking time to think things through meant I made better decisions. Taking breaks meant I had energy for the things that actually mattered. Saying no to some things meant I could say yes to better things.
Stop Apologizing for Being Human
Look, we’re not machines. We can’t run at maximum capacity 24/7 without something breaking. For me, what broke was my ability to think clearly, to be present, to enjoy anything.
I spent so much time trying to optimize my life that I forgot to actually live it.
Now when people ask how I manage to stay calm in stressful situations, the answer is simple – I don’t create unnecessary stress for myself anymore. I don’t volunteer for chaos. I don’t treat every decision like it’s life or death.
Sometimes I take the long way home just because. Sometimes I sit and do absolutely nothing for twenty minutes. Sometimes good enough is actually good enough, and the world doesn’t end.
If You’re Reading This While Multitasking
Stop. Seriously, just for a second.
Take a breath. A real one, not those shallow panic breaths you’ve been doing.
You don’t have to live like this. You don’t have to earn your worth through exhaustion. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone by running yourself into the ground.
The most productive thing I ever did was learn how to slow down. The smartest decision I ever made was choosing my sanity over other people’s expectations.
Your future self will thank you. Hell, your present self will thank you too.
