Stopping by the Han River in Seoul
Do less now, and enjoy the benefits.
1) More Focus
Give yourself all day to complete just one task. With just one thing you have to do, you are less likely to procrastinate by doing other, less important tasks.
2) Enjoy Food More
Give yourself the time to smell what you are about to eat. Allow the anticipation of the first bite to build. Put down your utensils once your food is in your mouth. Close your eyes. Feel the textures of the food. Try to identify the different flavours. As you swallow, feel it travel down your throat and into your stomach. Take a sip of water. Repeat.
3) Eat Less
There’s delay between being full and feeling full. Being mindful of how you are feeling while you eat means that you’ll know when you’re beginning to feel full, preventing you from overeating.
4) Make Less Silly Mistakes
Slowing down and making deliberate thought-out actions helps me from making silly mistakes. Trying to do too much has more than once resulted in the sugar ending up in the fridge, the milk in the cupboard and tea over my cornflakes.
5) Better Products
Take your time to plan what you are about to do, be aware of what you are doing, give yourself an opportunity to review what you have done. Nothing but good can come of this.
6) Notice More
When moving from place to place I often find myself focusing just on the destination. Be aware of where you are now, it’s usually a pretty cool place.
7) Realise What’s Important
Only let yourself do three things that are not essential to your continued survival. You’ll soon realise what you enjoy filling your time with.
8 ) Stop Forcing Things
Slowing yourself down will help you realise that some things, often important things, do not happen quickly. Accept that everything moves at its own pace and you’ll soon come to realise that it’ll be done when it’s done.
9) Better Relationships
Similar to number 6, slowing down takes the focus off my own life. When I’m rushing I’m just thinking about the things I have to do. When I slow down, I become more considerate of the needs of others around me.
10) Clearer Communication
Instant communication doesn’t mean that your comments should be generated instantly. Give yourself the time to express what it is you really feel.
11) Become More Committed
I often start new things with a lot of enthusiasm. I submerse myself in them completely. I don’t really pace myself. Slowing down, lets me enjoy things for longer and by not rushing, I’m less likely to make silly mistakes that would otherwise put me off and it gives me time to realise whether I actually enjoy it before making commitments to it I might regret later.
12) More Perspective
Slowing down and not instantly reacting to things helps give me perspective on problems in my life. While in the middle of something going wrong it can seem like the whole world is falling apart. However, slowing down and letting the issue sit for an hour/day/week, has saved me from making rash decisions I’m sure I would have regretted.
13) Less Impulse Buys
Leading a slower life has meant that I’m more willing to question whether I really want or need something. I came pretty close to buying an ipod touch recently but not rushing out getting one gave me the time to realise I was just a passing desire.
14) Make Better Decisions
Taking things slow allows you to consider your choices. I’ve lost count of the bad decisions I’ve made because I didn’t take the time to properly consider my options. I have since realised that there are always more options available than we can see at first, so allow yourself the time to let these options make themselves known to you.
15) Enjoy Better Health
In addition to eating less, slowing down will give you time to exercise. Taking time away from everything else to push yourself physically is a great stress reliever.
16) Quieter Mind
Doing less means you have less to think about. With less commitments on your mind, you can give yourself the quiet needed to hear your own thoughts. It’s only when you have a quiet mind that you can hear the advice your little voice is giving you.
17) Become More Content With Less
I have found that the more I slow down, the happier I become. Not sure what would happen if I stopped completely but I’ve noticed that doing less has resulted in me needing less to become content.
18) Less Easy-Highs
A big factor in perpetuating our fast paced life is the instant gratification that it gives. However the happiness we get from it is relatively short lived. However I’ve found that the gratification from something that takes a long time is not only greater, but more long lasting. Everyday I look at one of the utensils I’ve carved I get a little surge of happiness. I certainly don’t get that feeling over the utensils that I’ve bought.
19) Less Wrong Turns
Maybe not less wrong turns, but if you’re travelling slowing then you don’t rush the wrong way for quite so long. Slowing down makes it easier to notice when something has gone wrong and gives you the time to rectify it.
20) Reduce Your Risk Of Cancer
Less stress and regular cardiovascular exercise will lower your metabolism. It’s known that by-products of normal metabolism cause oxidative damage to DNA. Such damage can cause cancer. So, a slower metabolism might diminish DNA damage in tissue and thereby inhibit cancerous growth (source).
What benefits have you found from slowing down?
Staying Calm 
Nice article Tom 🙂
Glad you like it! Maybe you’d like to write me an article on staying calm under the pressures of President-hood.
Definitely, I’d be happy to write one sometime next year!