The Healthy Spiritual Journey • February 2026: Try Slowing Down

“For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.” – Jane Wagner, American comedy writer 

Lately, folks seem to be rushing through mornings, conversations, meals, quiet times, and life! Have you noticed people passing you on the streets, racing to the next red light? Even news broadcasts rush to get in as much information as they can in the short amount of time between commercials. The more we accelerate, the more life seems to blur. We miss details and we miss meaning. I read a simple but profound piece of driving advice the other day: control your car with the accelerator, not the brake. At first, it sounded counterintuitive. Isn’t the brake what keeps us safe? Isn’t slowing down something we do only when we must? But the wisdom behind the suggestion is this: when we are intentional about our speed, rather than constantly reacting, we move more smoothly, more safely, and with much less stress. In fact, I heard a truck driver give the advice that, when driving on a dangerous road, we should drive as if we have no brakes. This will require that we control our vehicle with the accelerator at a speed that feels safe. Think about it. We should try slowing down!

These are not just good driving tips, they are good bits of advice for living. We rush through life anticipating problems that may never arrive; we tense-up at the possibility of disappointment; we slam on the brakes when life doesn’t unfold exactly as we planned. And in doing so, we create a stop-and-go rhythm that exhausts the mind and drains the spirit. But what if we shifted our focus to the accelerator of life – not to go faster, but to move with intention? What if we allowed ourselves to glide through the day with steadiness rather than urgency? Slowing down doesn’t mean doing less. It means doing what matters with presence, clarity, and grace. Try slowing down!

Slowing down can be a spiritual act. It requires us to trust that life might get better if we pause long enough to breathe. It invites us to believe that our worth is not measured by our pace. It reminds us that the sacred often reveals itself only when we are still enough to notice and listen. When we slow down, conversations unfold; meals refresh; walks become intentional rather than mechanical. Even problems can become growth opportunities. It is said that “haste makes waste”. When are we going to find time to re-do something that went wrong because we did it in haste the first time around? Try slowing down!

There is also a quiet humility in slowing down. It acknowledges that we are not in control of everything – nor are we meant to be. We can guide our steps, but we cannot force outcomes. We can plant seeds, but we cannot rush their growth. Slowing down is a way of honoring the life we have been given. It is a way of listening for the gentle nudges of wisdom that are so easily drowned out by noise and haste. It is a way of remembering that peace is not only found at the end of life. It can be found in the way we choose to live our lives. Take time to do the important things. Tell your family and friends that you love them. Be kind to your neighbors – near and far. Take time to pray for guidance. If we truly want fast-acting relief from the worries of life, and live our lives more fully, we should try slowing down!

In God’s love,

Lanny F. Wilson, MD

“And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?”   – Luke 12:25, in the Christian Bible