Notes

Today we're talking about how the speed of Modern Life affects people Stella Reese's with us and Stella you've just published some research on how people need to slow down in different ways in their lives. I read an interesting review of your book in The Herald newspaper and realized a lot of what you found out is true in my own life. I know been friends and family have said that too and I'm sure it's not only true of the UK. Although this is where I actually did the research. No, I'm sure if you did. Work you'd see the same information coming from almost every country in the world. So in this study did you learn much about whether speed makes people stressed? Yes, take technology. For instance. I thought modern technology would obviously provide people with more Leisure Time, you know with more machines doing the work for us, but I didn't expect people to tell me that the exact opposite was true the more technology we own the busier we seem to become

It's not because we want to be know most of us complain about it like crazy. So why don't we all just slow down a bit then Stellar know it seems as if we're programmed to believe that if we slow down do nothing, then we're not achieving anything and the faster we achieve the better we are so we've become used to filling every second of our time and doing things as fast as we can. This seems to be the basic problem speed isn't always good for us Einstein. For example got his very best ideas when he was lying back daydreaming. Well, I suppose there's something good to be said about taking time to write a letter rather than sending a text for instance, but who writes letters these days and yes, I can see that taking the train rather than playing allows you to see the countryside as you're traveling but come on. It's a natural thing for us to

I want to be the fastest we love to compete whether we have sailing running or motor racing whatever we lose that whole part of our Lives if we slow down completely I know but it's not just about slowing down. It's about feeling happy at this particular point in time looking around and really seeing what's there right now rather than planning what new interest to take up next month or wondering how to make life seem more. Positive become less pessimistic. We should all try living in the moment even just for three or four minutes a day interesting. I know what you're saying. It's only a small thing. But recently I started eating much more slowly taking time to look at the food on my plate smell it even before eating. It's not out of it need to lose weight or to feel full by eating less. Actually. I still eat about the same amount, but I really beginning to enjoy the different.

Is think about where the food's come from? And yes eating has become a more pleasurable experience. I know another thing I've read about recently is the false ideas people have about sleep. It's been popular to believe that we shouldn't sleep too much and that we absolutely shouldn't sleep during the day but no, it's been proven that most adults still need around 8 hours sleep a day. Whereas figures show the average is between five and six. And City people often sleep even less really? Yes and not just humans a study has shown that City blackbirds wake up earlier and go to sleep later than those in the country. That's really funny.