There’s an ever-present phenomenon in modern workplaces that you’ve likely witnessed – and maybe you’ve even fallen victim to it yourself. It’s called hustle culture, and it’s become a battle cry in both our personal and professional lives. 

Hustle culture is all about an ongoing race against the clock, pressing for quicker results, and chasing efficiency. It’s this constant feeling that we need to be doing more. But what if the secret to real productivity (not to mention living a fulfilling life) isn’t about speeding up at all? What if the key to accomplishing more and experiencing greater fulfillment actually lies in the art of slowing down? 

In this article, we'll explore ways slowing down in life can improve your productivity and quality of work, as well as your overall fulfillment in life, including: 

• Avoiding costly mistakes

• Increasing workplace performance

• Reducing burnout and stress 

• Enhancing problem-solving skills and creativity 

4 ways slowing down in life improves productivity and quality of work 

Imagine yourself tasked with chopping wood in a forest. You swing tirelessly, but with each passing hour, your axe becomes increasingly blunt, making your task harder and more time-consuming. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? Just like a lumberjack takes a break to sharpen his axe, slowing down to rest and relax can boost our effectiveness when we return to our tasks.

If you’re wondering how to be more productive in life, here are five ways slowing down will help you in the long run. 

1. Avoiding costly mistakes 

As cliché as it may sound, the age-old adage that 'quality is better than quantity' holds true, especially when it comes to workplace productivity. The more we aim to do, the more the quality of our work tends to slip. Why? Because we are human. 

Instead of giving in to the hustle, try establishing boundaries. The 1-3-5 rule argues that we can only reasonably tackle one large task, three medium tasks and five small tasks per day. Any more, and we become prone to making mistakes that harm our productivity. The takeaway? When you concentrate on the calibre of your work, you’ll not only achieve better outcomes but also contribute more value in the long run.

2. Increasing workplace performance 

A 2015 poll by Gallup found that 61% of workers feel they don’t have enough time to do what they want. This idea of feeling like you have too much to do and not enough time to do it all, referred to by researchers as ‘time famine,’ is proven to increase our stress and decrease our satisfaction with life. When we experience time famine, our tendency is to go faster – but this just makes us more starved for time. Instead, when we slow down, this increases our feelings of ‘time affluence.’

When UCLA’s Anderson School of Management began studying the concept of ‘time affluence,’ they found that it’s proven to increase our happiness, health, and overall workplace performance. And luckily, it’s less about how many hours we have in a day, and rather what we do with those hours and how intentionally we use them. 

The lesson? Learning to be more intentional with the time we have rather than working more or faster is a tried and true method to increasing performance. 

3. Reducing burnout and stress 

Burnout is the result of mental and emotional stress caused by overworking and keeping up with unrealistic expectations. According to a Deloitte study, 77% of people have experienced it in their current role – and the effects aren’t only negative for employees. They can also end up costing employers. Disengaged employees can cost a business up to 34% of their annual salary. 

So, how can slowing down in life reduce burnout? It all comes back to practicing self-care and self-regulation. Engaging in mindfulness and meditation techniques in the workplace has been proven to reduce stress, burnout and even physical illness. Remember, although a mindfulness practice takes a bit of time out of your day, it’s akin to “sharpening your axe” so you don’t burn out as easily later. So if you’re wondering how to slow down at work to avoid mistakes, working mindfulness into your morning routine is a great place to begin. 

4. Enhancing problem-solving skills and creativity 

We are born with an innate creativity and aptitude to problem solve. But when we enter highly-structured workplaces – and then add stress, deadlines, and burnout into the mix – our creativity begins to wane. In fact, the creative centre of the brain goes offline when the stress response kicks in. Luckily, there’s a solution. 

Taking time to rest, refuel, and recharge is proven to reset our problem-solving skills and bring the creative part of our brain back online. Simple practices such as going for a walk, taking a nap, and even knowing when to take a break from our work can stimulate divergent thinking and creativity. So, next time you have a challenge to tackle, giving your body and mind a break first may just help you to put your best foot forward. 

And here’s a final question to reflect on:

What are we all rushing towards, anyway?

It seems like so many of us are missing out on our precious lives because we’re rushing through our days – and we all know that our days become our years. Instead, let’s savour the moments of our lives instead of just trying to get things done.

Discover how to slow down in life with Mindful Workplace Training 

If you’re curious how to slow down in life to improve your fulfillment, productivity and quality of work, explore my Mindful Workplace Training series for your company or team. You’ll all leave feeling happier, healthier, and ready to tackle challenges in both your personal and professional life.