Permission to read slowly, one word at a time

I’ve always been proud of how quickly I’ve been able to process information. However, in recent years, I’ve realised this ability to speed up my thinking has also become my achilles heel. 

A faster brain isn’t necessarily a good thing.

But first, I know it’s not just me. We are now consuming more information than ever, and it’s coming at us at such speed. I’m writing this as a 56 year old who has grown up with ever faster technology; I’m part of the generation who have evolved through work to embrace email, messaging and 24 hour media opportunities. Some say we are the lucky ones because the speed increased subtly over many decades, so we were able to keep up. 

Those older than me, such as my mother, didn’t have a digital workplace or home to grow up in so often struggle with the pace today. Those younger, especially young children and teens, have been born into it, with seemingly shorter attention spans (not necessarily a good thing!). 

So whilst on holiday last month, I noticed that I was ploughing through my reading. 

I’d developed a habit of scanning paragraphs instead of reading every single word, which can be helpful when scanning through social media posts or news articles, but now on holiday, it wasn’t helpful in relaxing me. 

I bought Elif Shafak’s latest book, There Are Rivers in the Sky, at the airport. I am a huge fan of her work and was looking forward to reading a new novel from her. 

But as I was laying on my sun lounger, I realised I was racing through and not doing any justice to her words and beautiful descriptions. So I stopped … I turned back to the first page and started again, this time purposefully reading every word, savouring every paragraph. 

If I found myself drifting away from the story and not paying attention to what I was reading, I would put the book down, maybe go for a swim or shut my eyes for a while, and then pick it back up again when I was ready to read it word for word again. 

What a difference this made to my experience and connection with the story.

And what a difference this made to my mind and body being able to really relax. 

When your mind races and your thinking speeds up, your body goes on alert. It’s the natural chemical reaction that occurs in your nervous system; blood pressure rises, heart rate goes up, breathing shortens; you are on alert, ready for action. 

For those of us growing older, especially moving through the menopause years, this matters even more. Because your nervous system is already working harder, fluctuating hormones mean your stress response is often closer to the surface, your sleep more fragile, your capacity for overwhelm lower than it used to be. Layering constant information intake, often in multiple layers and jumping fast from one thing to another, on top of that is like turning up the dial on a system that's already running warm. 

Slowing down what we consume isn't a luxury, but essential for our wellbeing and stress levels. 

Next time you find yourself jumping from app to app on your phone, or answering a phone call whilst you are cooking dinner, or juggling multiple questions from different people, or multi-tasking like a superhero … notice what’s happening in your body. 

Check in with your heart beat; sense where your breath is. 

And then notice how these speedy reactions become habits so that when you are resting at the end of the day, or you’re away on holiday, is your mind still speed dialling through what you are consuming?

Could you slow down what you are doing such as watch one screen - TV or phone, rather than two at the same time; eat your meal without your phone; slow down your evening walk and hear the birds; read one word at a time of your book. 

It’s seeing how daily reactions to a busy life become habits, and once you recognise this, seeing these habits as something you can consciously change.

For the first time, I read just one book on holiday (I usually plough through three or four easily) and I loved it, especially as it was a book I just didn’t want to finish; the story was too beautiful and compelling. 

And I’ve made sure I’ve brought my slow reading habit back home with me. 

Until next time, thanks for reading.