Real People Real Talk

Slowmaxxing: Thriving without the Rush

Share episode

Today we are talking about Slowmaxxing: a way of maximizing your life—not by cramming more into your day, not by hustling until you’re exhausted, but by slowing down, being intentional, and focusing on what truly matters. The host, Paul, will unpack why slowing down is essential for your mental and emotional well-being. 
Practical tips and strategies are brought to the forefront to help you adopt a slower, more mindful lifestyle. Learn how mindful eating, regular unplugging from technology, and the "one thing rule" can significantly enhance focus and reduce anxiety. By embracing a sustainable pace, counting your blessings, and reflecting on God's goodness, you'll unlock more pleasure and balance in everyday living. 

Scripture

  •  Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
  • Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Related Episodes

Support the show

Speaker 1:

Welcome and thanks for tuning in to Real People, real Talk Relevant conversations that take you from surviving to thriving. This is the podcast that goes there. My name is Paul Calcoat and I'm your host. Now let's talk. Hello, thriver, and welcome to Real People, real Talk, the podcast ministry that equips you to thrive spiritually, mentally and relationally. I am so glad that you are tuning in today because we're diving into a topic that feels both refreshing and so necessary in a fast paced, always on world.

Speaker 1:

I'm calling this one the art of slow maxing thriving without the rush and slow max and it falls into the category of mental health and self-care. Now you may be thinking hold on, paul. What is what in the world is slow maxing? What is that? Well, it's exactly what it sounds like. It's about maximizing your life, not by cramming more into your day and not by hustling until you're exhausted, but by slowing down, being intentional and focusing on what truly matters. To take it a step further, slow maxing is this self-care trend that encourages a slower pace of life. It's a shift away from the hustle culture and is more of a shift towards living more intentionally and in the moment. And I'm gonna be honest here this is nothing new or groundbreaking as these thoughts about slow and intentional living has been around for centuries. But today we want to take a new look at our old philosophy.

Speaker 1:

Our culture today is so obsessed with speed, with rushing. You hear things like we can do a 10 minute oil change, we can do a five minute car wash, instant rice, instant grits, speed dating and so much more. We burn with frustration At least I know I do If the website doesn't load instantly, like I'm, I'm a little upset. Uh, oftentimes we eat instant oatmeal for breakfast or frozen meal for lunch and we order takeout for dinner Fast living 101. But slow maxing is a breath of fresh air. It's not about laziness no, I'm not talking about the here. I'm not talking about a lack of ambition. In fact, it's quite the opposite. It's about thriving, but without the burnout. It's about living a life that's rich and meaningful at a sustainable pace. So here's what I'm covering today. I want you to stick with me. You'll be glad you did what slow maxing really is, why it's important, the core principles that define this lifestyle. I'm also going to provide scriptural wisdom that aligns with slow maxing and plenty of practical tips to help you get started. So I want you to grab your favorite drink, settle in and let's talk about how slowing down might be the most powerful thing that you can do so you can truly thrive.

Speaker 1:

So, first things first, what is slow maxing? Slow maxing is the practice of living intentionally. Slow maxing is the practice of living intentionally, embracing slowness and focusing on sustainable growth. It involves doing things better, not necessarily faster. It's a conscious choice to live differently. It's a way to to learn that you need to take time for yourself, take time for your mental health. It's the idea that not everything valuable happens quickly. Some of the most beautiful things in my life relationships, personal growth and even my faith took time to develop.

Speaker 1:

Slow maxing is the clarion call to get out of the fast lane and stop rushing through this thing that we call life. Out of the fast lane and stop rushing through this thing that we call life. Slow maxing, also known as slow living, is about embracing the calm moments and making the most of what you have in front of you, taking the time, as the adage goes, to smell the roses, to live in the now, to enjoy the gift of today, which is why we call it the present. Secondly, why do we need slow maxing?

Speaker 1:

Let's face it, life now can be very exhausting. Yes, there has been a lot of progress in medicine and industry and technology, but life can be fast and it can be overwhelming if we're not careful and intentional. We are constantly bombarded with messages. Like you know grind now, rest later, or you can sleep when you're dead, or sleep is for the weak. No, the devil is alive. But here is the truth. Chronic stress, burnout and overwhelm are all symptoms of a life that's too fast and too busy. God did not create you to live a life that's so busy, so fast, that you don't have time for the things that matters most.

Speaker 1:

Slow maxing is the antidote to the grind culture. It helps us to protect our mental health, to protect our emotional health, to foster deeper, more meaningful relationships because we're slowing down. It will help us to cultivate creativity and pursue joy. It will help us to live with intention and with clarity and, most importantly, it reminds us that life is not a race that we rush to the finish line, but it's a journey that we should be enjoying. So I want you to hear this, my friend You're not falling behind. You are living your story and it's going to unfold at its own pace. So trust God's will for your life and trust his timing for your life.

Speaker 1:

So you may be asking, like how do we actually practice this thing called slow maxing? Here's some key principles to guide this lifestyle. Number one presence over productivity. Let me say that again Presence over productivity. Instead of asking how much can I get done today, what if you ask yourself from time to time how fully present can I be in what I'm doing, whether it's working or having a conversation or enjoying a cup of tea? Be all there, maximize the moment, live in the now. Distractions steal so much from us, but presence, being intentionally there, being all in, brings us back. One way that I want to incorporate this principle more and more in my life is when my, when my wife and I, when we have meals, whether it's at home or whether we're in the restaurant, we're going to do more of these meals without screens, without the phone, without the TV. No iPad, no computer, no laptop, no, nothing, just us fully present with one another, so we can continue to cherish one another and foster and deepen our relationship. All right, so presence over productivity.

Speaker 1:

Secondly, I want to encourage you to savor the simple things. Life isn't just about the big milestones. They're great. Enjoy it, celebrate it, of course, but it's also about the small, ordinary moments. Maybe it's the warmth of sunlight on your skin, the feeling of clean sheets after a long day, or that moment when you step into a hot shower. It could be the first sip of coffee, the first sip of your morning tea. Don't rush through these things. Carpe diem, seize the day, drink life to the least, maximize the moment, enjoy the journey of life. I want to encourage you to enjoy, to cherish and to savor each moment of life.

Speaker 1:

Now let's go to god's word. The bible says in ecclesiastes, chapter 3 and verse 1 there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens. This tells us that life has rhythms and seasons. We are not meant to sprint through every single season and every single day of our lives. Psalms 46 and 10 says be still and know that I am God. Stillness isn't passive, but it's powerful. It's in the stillness that we reconnect with God. Now, moving on to the New Testament, matthew, chapter 11, verses 28 through 30, says come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle, I am humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Jesus didn't say come to me and I'll give you more to do. He said I will give you rest, and that lets us know that rest is not a weakness, but the rest is sacred, and all of us should incorporate healthy rhythms of rest in every season of our lives.

Speaker 1:

Now I want to give you some practical tips for slow maxing in your everyday life so you can thrive without the rush. So we want to get practical, because if you're thinking like, all right, paul, you talked about this term slow maximum, but how do we live it out Monday through Sunday? All right, but I got you. Here's some ways to start slow maxing today. And let me be clear there's no pressure to incorporate all of these all the time, but take what works for you, depending on the season, and just sprinkle it throughout your week. So number one is this Take time to be with Jesus and soak in his presence. If you only incorporate one thing from today's episode, let it be this Slow down and take the time to be with Jesus. If you are too busy to spend time with Jesus. You are too busy. Indeed, I did an entire sermonic episode where I talked about Mary and Martha, how Martha was too busy for Jesus. But Mary slowed down to sit at his feet and so I want you to check the show notes so you can listen to the episode as well.

Speaker 1:

But the point was we need to slow down and not like this drive-thru, hurry and rush time and need to be out in five minutes. But there are some times where we need to slow down, worship him, honor him, praise him, have a time of silence so he can, so we can hear what God is saying to us, and just soak in his presence and slow down reading the bible, and don't speed read and don't read just to get through it, but dig in. Read your bible to be transformed, read your bible to be to have an encounter with the lord. Because when I read in my Bible I like to slow down. Of course I like, I love the concept of speed, but when I read about, I'm a slow down. So what that looks like for me is if there's a word that I don't understand in this context from a biblical point of view, I make sure that I have my phone so I can Google what the word means and, really you know, dig into what God is trying to say. And then there's some times where, depending on what version of the Bible you have, where it would have another scripture reference that you know is very connected to that scripture. So I would go and see what that scripture has to say and see the full picture of it in prayer and in worship.

Speaker 1:

Soak in his presence, spend quality time with him, unhurried, unrushed time with God, because it's in his presence where you can be restored, it's in his presence where you can be revived, it's in his presence where you can be renewed. So, number one, take time to be with Jesus and soak in his presence. Secondly, I want you to schedule white space in your calendar. My wife and I, we try to incorporate this at least once a month and we used to call it lazy Saturdays but we now call it recharge Saturday, and here's what it looked like for us in the current season that we're in we sleep in, we enjoy our coffee, we enjoy our conversation with one another. We make sure to take time to do our devotional that we're walking through, you know, spending time in the Word, spending time in prayer with one another, then we lounge around and we just have a slower paced day catching up on our risks.

Speaker 1:

Just like margins in a book, make it readable, margins in your life make it livable. Block out time where nothing is scheduled, no meetings, no chores, just space to breathe, reflect and do nothing. And for you, depending on your season of life, right now, it may not can be an entire day, but it can at least be the first part of your morning from time to time. And because, I get it, we are all in different seasons of life, different levels of responsibility, different levels of business. But I still would encourage you to take at least one action step towards slow maxing, even if it's just five minutes here and five minutes there, and so, even more personally, here's what slow max looks like in my life.

Speaker 1:

Friday is my day off, but it's a work day for my wife, so it's my day off, work where I'm at home, and so on those days I try to have a shorter to do list and I start my morning off real slow no alarm clock, I make my coffee, I grab my Bible and I enjoy, as I like to call it, coffee in Christ in my backyard, outside under the gazebo, just spending time with the Lord at a slower pace. And speaking of coffee, what if you got up a little bit earlier and instead of enjoying your coffee in the car and drinking it on the go, what if you enjoyed your coffee at home? That's a small step of slowing things down and enjoying the moment, because I like to sip my coffee and just enjoy it. And there are some days you know where I'm, I'm in a rush or I have a heavier load and I drink my coffee to go. There's nothing wrong with speed, but I just want to encourage you to slow down from time to time and just maximize the moment, live in the now, be present. But that's just. That's just some food for thought.

Speaker 1:

On Fridays I also try to take a bath. I take my time with it, light a candle, get some bubble baths and bath buns and enjoy a nice hot, slow bath and just more intentional than the shower. I love showers, but just something about a nice warm bath All right. On Sundays I slow max by taking that good old after church, after lunch nap that me and my wife enjoy. And I also try to go for a walk outside on Sundays as well, and not necessarily, you know, run and get a personal record or whatever, but you know, sometimes when I walk, I just want to enjoy it. And I remember one time I walked and I I was like, let me just see what's going on, not just speed past everything. I noticed god's beauty in nature, whether it was the green grass or the beautiful trees, or I make sure to hear what I was listening to, whether it was dogs barking or, um, insects buzzing, or even the birds chirping, and just taking time to live in that moment and be grateful for the things I was able to experience in that moment. So, listen, you don't have to do this every single day, but I just want you to be intentional and find those moments for yourself. Ok, so, number one, you must take time to be with Jesus. Number two, schedule some white space in your calendar. And number three and this is something I really need to work on is practice mindful eating.

Speaker 1:

How often do we eat on the go, distracted by a screen? Instead, I want you to consider trying this Sit down with your food, notice the colors, notice the textures, notice the flavors. You don't have to just you know, speed eat and just wolf it down. That's how you get heartburn. That's how you overeat, eat more slowly, savoring each bite. You don't have to inhale it Slow down and chew more down. That's how you get heartburn. That's how you overeat, eat more slowly, savoring each bite. You don't have to inhale it Slow down and chew more. Like I said, it combats overeating. Ok, you don't have to have this type of slow meal every time you eat, but just try it here and there. It's a simple way to anchor yourself in the present moment.

Speaker 1:

Fourthly, I want you to unplug regularly. Ok, designate times where you disconnect from your phone, from emails, from social media. Maybe it's the first hour of your morning or it's the last hour before you go to bed, but give your mind a break from the constant stimulation. And once again, I know there's different levels of responsibilities and you may be expecting notifications from a family member just in case of emergency, and you may be expecting notifications from a family member just in case of emergency. All that is good, but this is one thing that we should try to incorporate as often as we can. It's kind of unplugging from our devices. Ok, because you don't need to always be on. Only God is always on. Ok, that's not healthy for us. And then, fifthly I call this a one thing rule healthy for us. And then, fifthly, I call this a one thing rule.

Speaker 1:

When you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself what's the one thing that I can focus on right now? Not five things, just one thing. This reduces anxiety and helps to give your full attention to what matters. I heard it also called the win method what's important now? So this is just a nugget, some food for thought, like if you're ever having an overwhelming day, you just want to slow it down. Once again, just ask yourself what's the most important thing that I can focus on right now and then go from there. Number six I want you to incorporate nature into your day or your week, depending on your schedule. Even if it's just a few minutes outside, it can reset your nervous system, and here's some things to think about. You can feel the breeze on your face, notice the sounds of the birds, watch the clouds move, watch the sunrise or watch the sunset. Nature has a way of reminding us that growth happens slowly but surely.

Speaker 1:

Number seven invest in your relationships Once again. I mentioned this earlier, but incorporate more meals without screens. Have more conversations with one another, schedule date nights with your spouse. Schedule family nights and vacations with your family nights with your spouse. Schedule family nights and vacations with your family. Then, for your extended family, I would encourage you to pick up the phone and call them more or to FaceTime them more, and don't always just settle for a text. And once again, nothing is wrong with texting, but sometimes you need to slow it down. Go to the extra mile, call or FaceTime a loved one.

Speaker 1:

Number eight invest time into your hobbies. Hobbies are not just for kids. As adults, we can have fun and we can play as well. Invest time into your hobbies. Carve out time for some fun, whether it is reading, painting, sewing, coloring or gardening. One of my hobbies is basketball. Carve out about two and a half hours, which includes a commute and time to take to get dressed and actual playing, but I carve out about two and a half hours a week to have a good hoop session and this, this works wonders for me. I love the community, I love the exercise. Um, playing basketball as you may have heard me say this before, it's my favorite form of cardio. I said that to say this Don't get too busy that you don't have time to have fun and enjoy life. As a matter of fact, plan your joy. What are those activities that bring you joy? Discover those and then put it on the calendar and have some fun.

Speaker 1:

Number nine I touched on this just a little bit, but I want you to get your rest and to get your sleep. Let me say that again Get your rest and get your sleep. It was an author, anne LaMatha said almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. Rest and sleep is foundational to how we function. Rest restores your body, rest sharpens your mind and rest regulates your emotion. The Bible says in Psalms 23, verses 2 and 3, he makes me lie down in green pastures. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leaves me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. Notice the words make me lie down.

Speaker 1:

Sometimes, when we resist, risk so much that life, or even god, has to remind us to slow down. Rest isn't just good for us, it's sacred, because nobody wins when you are always on the go, always going 100 miles per hour, always overwhelmed and burnout, just rushing through life with depleted energy levels. This isn't good for you or your family. So, yes, I want you to enjoy life and you have to grind from time to time and pick up speed. Yes, I want you to enjoy life and you have to grind from time to time and pick up speed, and you know I want you to be productive, but I want you to do so at a healthy and sustainable pace. Slow down, embracing slow max can help you to prevent burnout and to reduce stress. So stop rushing all the time, because haste can make a waste. And, speaking of rushing, start speeding all the time to save you money, so you don't get a ticket, and it can help you to prevent accidents. So slow down, all right, and more ways than one, do what you can right now to find a more sustainable pace for your life.

Speaker 1:

I think about Jesus. Jesus was very productive, but he was never in a rush. I think about a lot of his miracles happen as he was on the way to somewhere else. He always would slow down and be interruptible. He was going to heal somebody's daughter, but this woman that had an issue of blood stops him and he slows down. And there was a healing and a miracle that took place. He was never running, never had a sustainable pace and he accomplished so much. Think about that. Jesus was very productive, but never in a rush.

Speaker 1:

Slow maxing is not about doing less for the sake of doing less. It's about doing what matters most, with presence, with peace and purpose. It's about focusing on being intentional, present and mindful. What if? Think about this what if the best version of you and the best version of your life wasn't the busiest one, but the one where you feel most alive, where you're connected to your purpose, connected to God, connected to people and connected to yourself in a healthy way? Remember this, talking about slow maxing, thriving without the rush. You're not behind, you're not late. You're exactly where you need to be, because God has a way of redeeming the time.

Speaker 1:

But that's another sermon for another day. You deserve guilt-free time for yourself. I'll say this once more Slow down, my friend. Start that long movie. Read that thick book. Take time to meal prep and cook meals. Go for a long walk, listen to a long podcast or listen to a full album. Take time to count your blessings, list them out and be reminded of God's goodness and God's faithfulness in your life.

Speaker 1:

Embrace slow maxing, which can lead to more gratitude and less anxiety. So I'll leave you with this. I know I have given you a lot of information, definitions, scriptures and practical tips, and more. This may be the episode that you listen to multiple times and take time to incorporate this philosophy. There's no need for an instant overhaul, but take a few steps today toward a more sustainable pace, because we can get more pleasure out of life when we slow down. Embrace the art of slow maxing so you can thrive without the rush. And that would do it for today. Until next time, my friend, go, be all that god has called you to be and slow down, smell the roses, slow down and enjoy the light that god has graciously given you and share this episode with a friend right now.