3 Activities Where It’s Best to Take Your Time

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.”
–Ferris Bueller

“You can microwave a Pop-Tart. That just blew me away that you could do that. How long does it take to toast a Pop-Tart? A minute and a half if you want it dark?! People don’t have that kind of time? Listen, if you need to zap-fry your Pop-Tarts before you head out the door, you might want to loosen up your schedule.”
–Brian Regan

Life is pretty fast paced for most people I know. People do almost anything to get ahead, from checking email while driving to cheating sleep a few hours. Whatever your own view is, I hope you agree there are some things that are not worth rushing. Here are three instances where I love to ignore the time:

Personal care in the bathroom

photo by saintbob

It takes a while to shave my head, so I can tell you I’m often tempted to glance at a clock. Of course, every time I do, I inadvertently rush myself and end up with a small cut.

It made me realize that one should always shave in peace. Shaving is a commitment: once you start, you cannot stop early. After the first stroke, time does not matter. Your complete focus should be on doing a good job.

I soon realized this can apply to virtually any bathroom activity. Whether you are flossing or showering, take your time.

In fact, I wonder why we even need clocks in bathrooms.

Reading for fun

photo by moriza

I really wanted to be a speed-reader in high school. I had heard Presidents Jimmy Carter and John F. Kennedy were speed readers and that inspired me. I wanted to get ahead of the game and read more.

But after reading a few books about speed-reading and practicing the techniques, I didn’t feel any better off. I started to see it was quality and not quantity that mattered. It is better to focus on a handful of excellent books and understand them entirely. I was inspired by my high school teachers and college professors who seemed to read slower than average. I realized that speed reading might be helpful, but it is certainly not necessary to live a happy and productive life.

Reading is a joy that should be enjoyed at your own pace. Furthermore, it appears most claims about speed reading are exaggerated. Many people who read very fast have about a 50 percent comprehension rate, not something I’d aspire to. There’s no need to worry if you feel like you read slow–for more details, see this excellent Slate article.

Meal time

photo by moriza

The thing I hated most about school meal time was the set hours. In high school we had 50 minutes to eat, at the same time every day. In college there was a range of time, but it never fully suited my schedule. As a consequence, I was often rushed.

Now I let my body do the talking. I eat when I’m hungry, and that might change from day to day. And when I eat, I take my time.

Not only do I enjoy food more, but I’ve also helped myself out biologically by chewing food longer. I never fully appreciated chewing until high school biology when we learned about digestion. The main thing I remember is that chewing is the first step in digestion. Things that don’t get digested cause a variety of problems, most notably indigestion and flatulence.

How much should you chew? My teacher recommended we chew 20 times, though it was not enjoyable to count. It’s also not necessary–I can’t imagine my ancestors thousands of years ago wasting time on counting food. Just chew thoroughly and you’ll get a good sense. After all, eating is natural. You wouldn’t tell a cow or a rabbit how long to chew food. You can find your natural pace too. For some other interesting facts, read more about chewing at the world’s healthiest foods.

When you take it slow and easy? What is your advice to people who don’t?