Slow working needs reflective practice

Oct 22

Let’s continue the conversation about slow working. Slower is a practice.

There’s great urgency in the world. Both from the tedious to-dos and from the really critical social issues. To practice slow working, we connect to the work that matters in a slowed down, intentional, and purposeful way. We notice our overing patterns of anxiety and learn to soothe the mind and body in order to regenerate resilience.

Folks talk to me about a tension between slow working and their high-achieving goals, all the good they want to do. I get that. I want both, too. Slower pace and bigger impact. Here’s the thing: Sustainable, resilient impact–the kind that really lasts–comes when we learn the slower.

We think the tension is between the ideal of slow working and the fast-faced, high-pressure work environment, though. We think it’s about doing more calendar hacks because time, energy, resources, and motivation always seem in short supply. Calendar hacks are often a helpful stopgap, but they aren’t sufficient. Continuing to work those extra hours and weekends and not getting the rest and restoration you need means diluting your impact.

[Pause, Tamara, what the heck is a ‘calendar hack?’. I’m so glad you asked. Ready to comb through your to-do lists, commitments, and calendar and start typing those “no thanks” emails or hit delete? It’s super fun. Click here for a DIY version to try.]

Wondering what it looks like to slow down in order to increase your impact?

In our work together, one of my clients is shifting out of the cycle of overworking and burnout and toward a slower, more spacious way of working. She, like so many of us, wrestles with the feeling that slow working seems unattainable in a world that constantly bombards us with demands—both from others and from her own inner drive. The pressure to prioritize speed and productivity feels overwhelming.

As we dug deeper during her coaching sessions, we uncovered the complex barriers standing in the way of adopting a more intentional work pace. She explored the external pressures, yes, but also the internal ones—her own expectations and habits that pull her toward 'more.'

Our conversations illuminated the delicate balance between her personal values and the fast-paced realities of today’s world. This dialogue became an invitation to reimagine how she can navigate the tension between who she wants to be and the speed that surrounds her. Slowly, she’s finding ways to create the spaciousness she needs to thrive.

Want to shift into slow working? You must carve out some space for reflection, even amidst the relentless pressures that surround you. Here are a few questions to get you started: