Much has happened the first six months of 2024. I moved to Houston, met new friends, lost a dear loved-one, experienced my first hurricane, blocked a few men after horrible dates, and kept finding myself on I-45 going back and forth between my old and new home. I’ve been moving, and to be honest, I could use some rest.
I was blessed to be able to take some time off from work to collect myself from all the movement, and I took that time to relax, reflect, reset, and prioritize what’s important to me in this season. I can say I have a pretty solid foundation – a home I’m happy to live in, friends and family who are only a call away, a good diet that keeps me fueled, and a growing relationship with God – but I do believe it’s time to slow down my pace a bit and make room to leverage and appreciate slow moments.
What are slow moments?
Slow moments are those moments in the day where I have a bit of time for myself to do whatever I need or want. Sometimes it’s a few minutes, other times it could be a few hours or even a day. I used to use these moments to take a breath from work, collect myself from continuous engagement with people throughout the day, or, most importantly, connect with God through prayer or solo bible studies. But recently, work has become overwhelming, talking to people has become exhausting, and I can count on one hand how many times I’ve set time aside to open my Bible since moving to Houston.
God talks to me so calm and nicely, but the way I’ve been keeping myself busy and working through some anxious moments with my therapist, it’s been a bit more challenging to hear Him clearly. Those slow moments allow for me to connect with Him and hear him. Another challenge I have is that quality time is my love language, so while I’m introverted, I also genuinely enjoy spending time with dear friends and family. I have, however, been forgetting to give quality time to myself and haven’t been focusing on giving enough QT to God.
Create more opportunities for slow moments
Instead of finding these slow moments, I need to create them. I’m so grateful for the life I have – I’m living in an answered prayer – but I know I’m not going to have my time with God or myself if I don’t make it possible. So, I’m learning to say “no” to some invites even though they sound like a great time, and stop committing myself to everything interesting presented to me. What’s working for me now is having a solid schedule during the work week. I’ll put in my working hours, slide a workout in before or after, blog/write a little, and after dinner, I have a few hours to myself before bed. Instead of scrolling socials, I’ve committed that time to reading and talking to God. I’m confident this will be the calmness I need so I won’t be moving in a cluttered mental state, allowing me to show up for everyone, and myself, the best way I can when life is busy.
What will this look like for the rest of the year?
Like I just mentioned, I’m living an answered prayer. I’m blessed with amazing friends and family across Texas that I love to engage with constantly thanks for my need for quality time. Sometime that means driving from city to city to celebrate a birthday, make a baby shower, tour a winery, go listen to live music, or just simply meet up for brunch or dinner. Whatever the activity, I know I’ll be doing something a few times a week. Just thinking of all the birthdays I get to celebrate in August and September is exciting.
Although this sounds great, I know how consuming this can be for me, and I’ll have to intentionally set time to slow down. That could mean finding 30 minutes for a bible study before I go to dinner or not over committing myself and allowing space in my schedule to do nothing. What I’m sharing is nothing new to many, but intentionally pacing my lifestyle is new to me. I’m excited to see where trying balancing my life instead of letting it ebb and flow will work for me the rest of the year.