15 Affirmations For Slowing Down

“Well, in our country,” said Alice, still panting a little, “you’d generally get to somewhere else—if you run very fast for a long time, as we’ve been doing.”

“A slow sort of country!” said the Red Queen. “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”

This scene come from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, and while smarty-pants types like to read deep into it for all sorts of things, from chess moves to relativism and the speed of light, I think many of us can relate to Alice’s predicament on a more basic level. We’re going as fast as fast as we can all day, but there’s still a million more things to do. We can’t get anywhere on the hamster wheel.

Yet there are really compelling reasons to mindfully slow down—even for a few phases per day. Lower blood pressure, better heart health, less depression. So try it, even for 10 minutes here and there. Maybe that’s relaxing with your child to build a castle out of clean socks—cause that’s what a 4-year-old likes to do. Or take some deep breaths in line at the supermarket, instead of fuming. Here are 15 affirmations to help you in your quest for a slightly slower tempo.

1. I’m enjoying the people who are in my life, right now.
2. I’m taking the time to simply be.
3. I’m making the conscious choice to slow down.
4. I’m enjoying the journey.
5. I’m making time to observe life.
6. I’m scheduling life in a way where I can have some rest.
7. I choose to live at a comfortable pace.
8. Inhale, exhale. I take time to do both fully.
9. I am centered and quiet.
10. What, exactly, am I racing toward?
11. My breath, and with it, my mind, are slowing down.
12. I feel myself unwinding.
13. I am steady and aware.
14. I acquaint myself with the world under my feet.
15. I’m breaking the habit of “busy.”

What affirmations do you use when you’re feeling like a jackrabbit and want to embrace your inner tortoise? Share your favorites below in the comments section.