This month, Integrative Counsellor Sam Grainger reflects on a recent trip to Greece and what Greek workers in particular taught her about slowing down
The summer has arrived in the UK with a bang. For some, the warmth and sunshine are very welcome; for others, a cooler environment feels much more comfortable. I have also recently had some time away and enjoyed a wonderful break in Greece. It was during this holiday that my reflections began — first in relation to myself, and then more broadly, thinking about the society we live in, what people bring into the therapy room, and the deeper roots behind the challenges they face.
One of the first things I noticed was the way the Greeks approached work. They worked hard, but there was a different mentality around it. There was an ease and confidence. Even when they were busy, nothing felt frantic. There was still time to stop, chat, connect with others, and enjoy the moment — without guilt or the feeling that time was being wasted. The work would still get done. It made me reflect on how different this can feel from the pace many of us experience in our own lives.
Slowly, I noticed my own nervous system beginning to settle. I started to reconnect with what feeling relaxed and calm actually feels like — not just mentally, but physically. I noticed the difference in my body when it was no longer constantly rushing, planning, achieving, or moving on to the next thing. It reminded me that feeling calm is not just about having fewer things to do. It is about how safe and settled our nervous system feels.
This brought me back to the therapy room. So many of the struggles people bring to therapy are connected: anxiety, people-pleasing, trauma responses, communication breakdown, stress, exhaustion, and difficulties within relationships.
Of course, there are many different factors that contribute to these experiences, but I often find myself reflecting on the impact of the lifestyle many of us have created. We live in a fast-paced society that often measures success through achievement, productivity, and how much we can fit in.
We rush from one task to the next. Once one thing is completed, another immediately takes its place. We rarely stop to acknowledge what we have achieved or allow ourselves time to simply be.
For many people, slowing down can even feel uncomfortable. When we have spent years being busy, productive, and needed, creating space can bring up difficult feelings. We may question our worth or feel guilty for resting.
But rest is not laziness. Space is not failure. Our nervous systems are designed to respond to stress and then return to a place of calm. However, many of us are living with our systems constantly activated — always switched on, always anticipating, always doing.
And this doesn’t just affect us individually; it impacts our relationships too. When life becomes a constant race, we can lose the moments that help us feel connected. We become busy. The children need taking here and there. Work demands more. The diary fills up. Before we realise it, quality time with the people who matter most becomes something we try to squeeze in rather than something we prioritise.
And perhaps without meaning to, we can pass this pace on to the next generation — teaching children that life is about achieving, keeping busy, and constantly moving forward, rather than also showing them the importance of rest, connection, curiosity, and simply being.
Maybe the question is not always:
“How can I fit more in?”
Maybe it is:
“What can I let go of?”
“Where can I create more space?”
“What does my nervous system need from me?”
Slowing down is not about becoming less motivated or caring less. It is about creating balance. It is about recognising that our worth is not measured by how much we achieve, how busy we are, or how much we can carry. Sometimes creating space is where we find ourselves again.
And perhaps that is something we can all learn from — including me.
Featured image of Sam Grainger – supplied
You know me Sam. I’ve been here, there and everywhere. There is a guilt or dis-ease with not having to go to work. I have filled the time with, what I want to do. I still have a yearning to achieve. I’ve replaced the always doing for others, with doing what’s going to make my life better. What’s going to bring me joy? What’s going to enrich my life? That’s what I aim to do with my life and time. Bring joy to self and others. Bill and I walk a lot, and we now stop and sit on benches and watch people. Soaking in the passing geese. Looking for our neighbor duck. Talking to the dogs who walk by. Listening to the birds. Saying hello to people as I pass them. Looking at what’s growing. Looking at clouds. I’m not perfect in any way. But my intention is there. X