5 Mistakes Women Make When Trying To Slow Down

So many of us reach midlife with a deep longing for less noise, more peace. We crave margin. Spaciousness. Time to breathe, pray, and reconnect with what matters. And yet… even in our best efforts to slow down, we sometimes stay stuck in the very patterns we’re trying to release.

Here are 5 common mistakes I see women making in the journey toward a slower, more intentional life:

🌪 1. Trying to Slow Down Without Letting Go You can’t create space while clinging to everything. Slowing down isn’t just about moving slower - it’s about releasing what no longer serves. Ask yourself: What am I holding onto that’s keeping me hurried?

📅 2. Filling the Schedule with “Better” Things Instead of Fewer Things We swap hustle for healing retreats, stack spiritual podcasts on top of grocery runs, and call it rest. But peace doesn’t come from doing better things - it comes from doing fewer things with greater intention.

🧠 3. Thinking It’s a Time Management Issue It’s not just about better planning. It’s about inner posture. Slowing down is a soul shift, not a scheduling fix.

🤍 4. Believing You Need to “Earn” Rest Rest is not a reward. It’s your God-given rhythm. You don’t need to do more to deserve stillness - you just need to trust that stillness is where your renewal begins.

💨 5. Forgetting the Body: Ignoring Your Breath and Nervous System You can’t slow your life without slowing your body. Many women overlook the importance of a regulated nervous system. Intentional breath, grounding, and simply pausing throughout the day are not luxuries, they’re lifelines. When we forget to breathe, we forget how to be present.

Friend, if you’re making any of these mistakes, you’re not alone.

The path to unhurried living isn’t a checklist to master. It’s a gentle invitation to return - to presence, to peace, to your inner wisdom.

With love and a slower rhythm, Julie