Slowing Down Might Just Be the Most Productive Thing You Ever Do

There’s a certain irony in life, isn’t there? We get so busy trying to ‘achieve’ and ‘crack on’ and ‘get ahead’ that we forget the real secret to productivity often lies in.…doing absolutely nothing. Now, if you’re anything like me, you’ve spent years working yourself into a frazzle. Whether it’s juggling never-ending to-do lists in your corporate job, studying until your brain feels like it might dribble out of your ears, or simply navigating the glorious chaos of everyday life, you’d think all that doing would lead to some glorious, triumphant moment of winning.

Well. I learned the hard way that constant doing just landed me one place…burned out, dried up, and held together with cortisol, alcohol and a splash of chaosol for good measure.

That’s when I decided to do something wild. Radical, even (for me). I left my corporate job and became a full-time therapist.

Now, before you imagine me swanning off to a Balearic beach with a cocktail and a sun hat, let me assure you, I didn’t exactly leap into a life of hammock-lounging. I still had plenty of plates spinning; admin, clients, building my practice from scratch, and just for fun, writing a little e-book. But something shifted.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I had space. Actual space. Not ‘I have twenty minutes between meetings’ space, but proper ‘stare out of the window with a cup of tea and forget what day it is’ space.

At first, it was weird. Years of running on adrenaline as a mother and fitness instructor, had trained me to feel guilty when I wasn’t doing something visibly useful. But then something unexpected happened. The rests I was reluctantly taking; those odd little sit-downs, walks, daydreams and creative thinking started making me more productive.

I know! I mean, who knew?

Well, I sort of knew. In theory. I’d read the science. I just hadn’t seen it play out in real time in my own life.

In my old world, productivity meant ticking things off a list with a triumphant flourish. That blessed little ADHD dopamined surge with each scribbled tick. But now, I was discovering a different rhythm. A slower one. I still have a list (OK, three), but I don’t cram it full anymore. I build in the things that actually support me, like breaks, rest, movement, even not thinking. And when I do sit down to work, I’m sharper. More focused. Like I’ve picked up a feather instead of carrying on with the big angry stick.

Now, I can almost hear the scepticism. “Alright for you, Kaz, not everyone has the luxury of time and space.”

But I promise you, this isn’t about melting off for a four-hour bubble bath. It’s about interrupting the relentless. It’s about switching things up. A real break, a non-tech pause, a mental breather. And it doesn’t have to be a big dramatic change.

I am not living in a Zen temple. I have teenage twins to manage, schooling to juggle, two business to grow and a hundred other tabs open in my brain. The pressure is still there, it has to be, to keep things moving. But, by building in pockets of pause, however small, I found I was being sharpened, which in turn gave me clarity. Okay, I knocked the poison on the head too, so that helped. No more fuzzy head, hanxiety or blocking things out, and the time I gained back is deliciously endless.

What do I mean by pockets of pause?….Five minutes with a cuppa. A walk in the fresh air. Lying on the floor and pretending I was meditating when I was really just being horizontal and even slowly making my lunch. Little moments that helped me show up better, not just for my clients, but for myself.

Slowing Down Was a Radical Act of Self-Care

I was used to speed. I thought rest was for other people. But as I started adding these mini-reset buttons to my day; a proper tea break here, a stretch outside there, I began to work smarter. And guess what? My work got better and I could sustain more focus with more energy.

Science agrees, by the way. Our brains don’t just veg out when we rest, they do some of their most important processing. When we allow our minds to switch off from active doing, they slip into the default mode network. It’s actually where our minds sort memories, make connections, process emotions, that all the behind the scenes magic that lets us function well.

But if we never stop, the brain never gets there. It stays in overdrive, like a washing machine stuck on spin. Result? Foggy thinking, stress, and a sense that we’re always on the back foot. Been there.

Let Nature Do Her Thing

One of the simplest ways to rest, and I would argue the most effective, is nature. Proper, in your face, birdsong and brambles nature.

It is not just beautiful (although it really is – have you seen a squirrel recently? Love). It’s a full-body reset button. It's no secret that natural environments reduce stress, boost mood, and even lower blood pressure.

When I step outside for a walk, I don’t just breathe differently, I think differently. It’s like my whole system exhales. I’ve been a regular and long distance walker for years, but there were times when I let work take over and forgot how much I needed it. My mind got foggy, my mood dropped, and I felt flat.

Now, when I walk with a client or on my own, I feel something recalibrate. My thoughts settle. My brain starts sifting and sorting, like it’s tidying up behind the scenes. That rustle of leaves, that crow cawing at absolutely nothing….it all helps.

Therapists Need Rest Too

As a therapist, I see how hard it is for people to give themselves permission to stop. We are a world of strivers, aren’t we? Always pushing, always proving. But what if rest was not indulgent? What if it was essential?

I talk to clients about this a lot – about doing less in order to feel more. About stepping away from the swirl. About sitting still without guilt. And it helps that I’m an ecotherapist, so I get to do this outside. It’s therapy with added birdsong and branches.

But it’s not just for clients. Therapists need it too. This work is deeply rewarding, but it’s also intense. Emotionally, mentally, energetically. And if I don’t rest, I can’t do it well.

So now I give myself permission. I lie down in the middle of the day if I need to. I walk more. I pause. I look at clouds. Sometimes I even lie in my hammock. And I do all of that not because I’m lazy, but because I know it makes me sharper, more present, and more human.

Let’s Redefine Productive

In 2025, with the world spinning madly on and stress levels still on the rise, this is a gentle nudge to rethink productivity. It is not about cramming. It is about pacing. About being wise with your energy.

So if you needed permission to rest today….here it is. Not as a reward for doing enough, but as a vital, intelligent act.

Take that break. Go outside. Put the phone down. Watch the trees. Let your mind wander. You might just be surprised by what happens next.

You don’t need to run yourself into the ground to be effective. Sometimes, slowing down is the most powerful thing you can do.

You don’t have to earn rest. You just have to let it in.

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