7 Months Ago, I Quit Rushing Through Life. These 5 Habits Helped Me Do It.

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The wake-up call hit me in the middle of lunch with my husband.

We were at one of those fast-paced spots where efficiency is king. Before our food had even settled on the table, the waiter slid the payment terminal toward us. I grabbed my card, swiped — nothing. Tried again. Still nothing. My frustration was rising when the waiter looked at me and said, “Why is everybody in such a rush? Take it easy!”

Oof. It landed hard.

Because the truth is, at that time my whole life has felt like a race against time: rush to daycare, rush to work, rush through lunch, rush every task, rush back to daycare, rush to make dinner, rush to clean up. Just writing it out makes my head spin.

And yet… the urgency is an illusion. When I tested it, biking full speed to daycare only saved me three minutes. Three! Nothing bad happened when I slowed down — other than arriving calm, instead of sweaty and annoyed.

That day, I decided: I will stop rushing through life.

Of course, breaking the habit wasn’t easy. Over the last seven months, I’ve slipped many times. But slowly, I noticed a shift. The clearest moment? Lunch with my colleagues. A few months ago, I would…