Reclaiming Our Time in a World Stuck on Play
I’ll be the first one to put my hand up and admit that I can sometimes get stuck in “GO GO GO GO GO GO MODE.” And, I can lose my footing when “busy” becomes my a slippery-slope of surivial instead of a firmer foundation of intentionality.
Right now I’m sitting on a comfy unmade bed at my parents’ place in Southern California. It’s hotter than a hot thing outside, and the pool is beckoning me to jump in and just float for a while.
Going from a chilly wintertime of work in New Zealand last week to a summertime slowdown vacation in SoCal with my family has really reminded me of what’s important in life – and that EVERYTHING IS MADE UP.
The hustle? Made up.
The grind? Made up.
Measuring ourselves against others? Nah, it’s not for me.
Society celebrates the go-getters, though.
Uplifts the fast-movers.
Yee-haws the never-stoppers.
Success stories built on caffeine, sleepless nights, and forgoing basic human needs (like physical and mental health, joyousness, wonderment, and play) make us think that the only way to thrive is to keep burning our proverbial candles at both ends until we burn out.
Burning out is like doing burn-outs – but instead of rubber hitting the road, it’s the heart of us that spins out of control
Culture tells us that we must all be V8’s to speed along the superhighway to happiness. And, somewhere along the line, we started believing that speed equals success. That momentum means meaning. That to matter, we must move. Fast.
But here’s the quiet, radical truth:
Slowing down is not weakness. It’s wisdom. To plant seeds, we must slow down to the pace of seasons. To grow tall and steady we must tend to the seedlings of our souls.
Slowing Down to The Speed of Life
Of all the things I’ve learned in 44 spins around the sun, slowing down to the speed of life might be the most powerful rebellion a woman can make in a world stuck on play.
I don’t want to be a V8. And, I don’t particularly like highways. I’d rather be a truck cruising down gravel roads taking in the journey and stopping to take pictures along the way.
But, because we live in a culture that glorifies busyness – we run our tanks to empty by filling our time. Our calendars are full, inboxes overflowing, notifications pinging like popcorn on a stovetop.
Amidst all this noise, many of us—especially women—are running on fumes of the aforementioned empty tanks. Carrying the emotional load of others. Balancing roles. Smiling through our exhaustion.
But what happens when we pause?
When we breathe?
When we choose not to keep up—but to go inward?
The Case for Slowing Down (Yes, Science Agrees)
Slowing down isn’t just poetic—it’s practical.
Research from Harvard Business School found that employees who take time to reflect at the end of the day perform 23% better after just 10 days than those who don’t.
Why? Because reflection— AKA slowing TF down—helps us process information, deepen learning, and make better decisions. I don’t know about you, but I reckon 23% better performance and making better decisions are two great reasons to rest.
Beyond this, another study published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience showed that mind-wandering (staring up at the clouds, touching grass, daydreaming) is linked to heightened creativity, stronger problem-solving, and the ability to connect disparate ideas.
That’s right—those moments you stare into space or walk without purpose? The “lost” hours where you’re playing or rocking out to your favorite 90’s bangers – those moments aren’t lost at all. They’re your brain doing some of its most important work.
Virginia Woolf famously said, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” In 2025, I’d like to add to this: A woman must have time to wander and ponder if she is to write the story of her own life and live it connected, creative, & confidently.
Slowing Down to Speed Up: A Personal Revolution
Constant motion is what we’re taught to be in. Momentum is touted as marvelous. Speed is superb. This is all fiction. Mostly written by people in power who see humans as resources, livelihoods as living, and women as workers who also nurture, heal, help, and feed others before they think about themselves.
Rest is a salve. But, too often, women are told that rest must be earned. That slowing down is self-indulgent. That we should be grateful just to keep up.
Here’s the truth as I see it: You are not here to keep up.
You are here to create, disrupt, dream, love, lead, and live fully.
And creativity doesn’t flourish in chaos. Innovation doesn’t spark when we’re sprinting from one Zoom meeting to the next. The magic happens in the in-between.
In the quiet.
In the bath.
On the walk.
Driving aimlessly with the radio turned up and the window cracked just enough to feel the world again.
When we slow down, we reconnect with our truth. With our bodies. With our dreams. And from there, we can reimagine the path forward—not just for ourselves, but for those who walk alongside us.
Think of the greats—Brené Brown’s quiet academic reflection led to global vulnerability revolutions. Oprah’s pauses between projects became portals to deeper purpose. And countless women around the world have pivoted, launched, healed, and risen because they dared to stop. To listen. To reset.
Slow is the New Brave: How to Begin
Here are some gentle, actionable invitations to help you slow down:
- Schedule blank space in your calendar like it’s a meeting with your future self.
- Take one slow walk a week—no phone, no podcast, just the rhythm of your breath and feet.
- Ask yourself once a day: What do I need right now that I’ve been ignoring?
- Keep a “wander journal” where you let your thoughts roam free. No goals. Just exploration.
- Say no to one thing this week that drains you and yes to stillness instead.
The More We Pause, the More We Connect
When we slow down, we begin to feel again.
We let our thoughts catch up to us.
We let our hearts speak.
And when women reconnect with themselves, they reconnect with each other.
We build stronger communities.
We dream bigger dreams.
We create from a place of power, not pressure.
So, here’s your reminder:
You don’t have to hustle harder to be worthy.
You are allowed to rest. To reflect. To wander and ponder.
Because slow is not the opposite of success. It’s the gateway to something far more meaningful: alignment. Now go ahead—pause.
The life you want to live is waiting in the stillness, the sunshine, the slowness, and the restful moment before you run.