Hey everybody, 

I’ve always had minor road rage, finding myself getting disproportionately annoyed at other drivers over the smallest things. I think it’s because I’m always in a rush — rushing to get somewhere, rushing to check things off my to-do list, rushing to fulfill my ever-changing life’s purpose. Some of that is surely my general anxiety, but I also think it’s a product of the times.

Everything moves so quickly these days, and there’s constant distraction. A news story breaks on Monday and is forgotten by Wednesday, buried under the next wave of headlines. There’s enough social media content to doom scroll for hours without seeing the same thing twice. There’s pressure to “make something” of ourselves (whatever that means), to be married or have kids by a certain age — if you even want those things — and to do it all on a strict timeline.

But I want to slow down. I want to feel more relaxed and present, not constantly bouncing and stressing from one thing to the next. I’m not exactly sure where to start. I know breathwork and meditation would probably help, but I haven’t pushed myself to integrate them into my life yet. Instead, I feel stuck in this hyper-tense cycle.

So I’m asking: Any advice? What are some of the ways you slow down?

Molly Chapman
Your KCRW Insider

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