Rushing

I came across a FB post that was shared in one of my equine assisted activities groups about the comparative neurobiology of horses and humans. I'm all about when my various interests collide, so of course I stopped and read the whole thing right then. (Look for Charlotte Moore - CM Training on FB if you want to read it, too.)

As so often happens, most of it was information I already knew. That is until I got to the spot where she connected a few dots for me that I hadn't connected myself. It was one of those Aha! moments coupled with a bit of annoyance at myself for not having made the connection.

In order to explain the connection I should have made, I need to back up a bit and discuss my extreme dislike of feeling too busy or too rushed. I dislike these things so much that I will do just about anything to avoid them. Our schedule is pretty bare bones and I try to avoid putting things at times where I know it will feel a bit of a crush to get to them. I don't like how I feel when I'm needing to rush. 

The feeling bit should have been my clue. I've known for a long time that most of our feelings are generated in our bodies first, turn our brain puts a label on them. It's why if we are carrying tension in our bodies (shoulders and jaws are often prime culprits) our brains assume there must be something wrong so sends out the appropriate fight/flight/freeze hormones. It's also why when we smile, even if we don't mean it, our facial muscles moving in that certain way signal our brains that things are pretty safe. I've spent years teaching this to parents and families. 

The exact dots that were connected were the ones that combined outward speed with emotional effect. I don't like how I feel when I need to rush because my brain is interpreting that rushing as being caused by something potentially dangerous. You know, like a saber-toothed tiger. When I can move at a pace that is more natural I feel calm because my brain is assuming that the lessened speed indicates safety. This makes total sense and goes a long way to explain my visceral dislike of rushing. 

This morning, a bit after reading the blog post, no doubt contributing to my need to rush, I was able to more correctly identify what was going on. I could tell myself that yes I was running a little late, but there was nothing dire happening. I also slackened my pace just a bit because honestly, those fractions of a second I was saving by flying about weren't actually going to make a difference. I was still running late, but I could take a few effective measures to help mitigate the physical feelings. It did help.

I challenge you to pay attention to how you feel when you are rushed. If you are perpetually feeling rushed and behind, it might feel so normal that your body being in a calm and restful state feels uncomfortable. Begin to pay attention to what is really going on with you. And dare to pare your schedule down if it is too much. I promise the world won't stop spinning (and your children will grow up to be healthy, functioning adults) if you don't do everything all the time.