The Paradox of Slowness: Why Slow Is Fast

Why Slowing Down Makes Your Body Work Smarter, Not Harder.

Slow Doesn’t Mean Lazy

Each week through October, I’m breaking down one aspect of the Fall Refresh framework to give you a deeper understanding of the way your body shifts in the fall. But that doesn’t mean waiting to start the shift. The idea is that you begin building these rhythms into your routine starting today.

The goal of the Fall Refresh is simple: to charge your body battery — adding extra support in a season that doesn’t bring energy as naturally as summer does.

Right now, you should have one of the highest energy charges of the year, and if you make the appropriate changes, you can keep that as you move into one of the most energy-depleting seasons — winter.

But that means taking action. You have to do the small things every day that help fuel your energy while also plugging the leaks that drain it.

The concept of energy leaks can be confusing because what charges in one season may drain in another. You’ll especially notice this in fall, when what once felt energizing — cold foods, busy schedules, late nights — suddenly leaves you feeling depleted.

This is an important and necessary aspect of seasonal living — being willing to adapt to the seasons without judgment.

It’s not wrong to eat cold foods or stay up late, but it can be more draining than filling when the days shorten and temperatures cool. It all comes back to energy generation at the cellular level — what your body needs to thrive is deeply influenced by the sun’s position and seasonal shifts.

The Paradox of Slowness

If you’ve ever felt the desire to slow down but then judged yourself for being lazy, this lesson is for you.

Slowness is not doing nothing. It’s not laziness, procrastination, indecision, or lack of ambition. It’s also not waiting for outcomes, but a way of creating them.