Cold Hands, Warm Heart

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Thanks to a friend who'd posted this book's review on her instagram. Once I read "Do not rush. Get ready to relax and unwind." as a highlight, I think I need this book to enlighten me, who always happen to get through a chaotic day, inevitably.

Have you ever feel that time flies really fast that you cannot digest everything at once? You barely enjoy the moment. You listen to a song but you're not appreciate every tone on it, you eat an ice cream but you can't tell the taste, it was a new year's eve and then bam... it's the end of the year again. Sounds familiar? That happens because you're not living in the moment, you've taken everything for granted. This world turns you into inhumane and not feel a thing.

Picture 1: Book Cover of Sloth Philosophy

So, this book will teach us how to live our life in a sloth way. Sloth is the slowest animal on earth, They spend most of their lives hanging upside down in the trees. The analogy of a Sloth from this book is trying to illustrate how we could use this Sloth Philosophy to slow the fuck down, no need to rush about evertyhing. Especially for every hustlers out there, the question is: What are you chasing? What's the rush? What is it, actually? Repeat this questions whenever you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed out.

It happened to me once, I got plenty of work to do and the deadline is pretty tight. My boss kept pushing me to get everything done at once which made me really stressed for fuck's sake, I skipped breakfast, I was late for lunch, I didn't have much time to catch up with friends on break lunch. This thing though, really took up our time. We commit to a lot of things we don't necessarily want or need to do. Yes, I admit it's requisite and part of our job when it comes to work. But most of the times, I ignore my own needs in order to do it. I need to rethink my priorities. And part of slowing down from Sloth Philosophy is realising you don't have to do everything or be all things to everyone.

Fact about Sloth:

"Sloths travel about 40 yards per day or about 6cm per second. They don't care how long it takes to get anywhere. They're chill, slow and steady wins the race remember, if Sloths were into racing – which they're not."

Picture 2: Fun Facts about Sloth

There are five aspects that we can learn from Sloth-Guru that should be considered:

1. Health and Wellness

How many times you choose Fast Food instead of chopping your own salad and fruit? The reason is pretty simple, we'd rather choose something that won't troublesome us on the sidelines of our busy life. Try to slow down for better health, go to grocery store, pick some veggie and fruits to fill your trolley.

2. Breath Deeply

Breathing should be an easy thing to do, we do it every second in our life. The problem is, we’re often not breathing effectively, and this can negatively impact our health. We’re so tense, or hunched over, that we’re barely taking in or exhaling more than a little puff of air. So straighten up. Set your shoulders back. Give those lungs room to expand. And take a deep breath.

3. Seek The Quiet Place

Picture 3: Sloth in a quiet place

When was the last time you're on a quiet place and all you do is just stare at the stars? Nah, been a long time ago right? Skygazing will soothe your nerves instantly. Stop for a moment, and look up for thirty seconds per day is enough.

4. Don't let the hates get you down

Life can be tough sometimes. People can be judgemental about our looks, our lifestyle, our flaws. They might say mean or petty shit that'll spread the negativity which can impacts our mental health. We need to control our anger and ignore the negatives, enjoy our life the way sloth did. Everyday feels like Friday.

5. Embrace Forest Bathing

" Popularised in Japan, where it’s been an important part of preventative medicine since the 1980s, shinrin-yoku means ‘forest bathing’ or ‘taking in the forest atmosphere’. Spending time in nature – literally looking at trees – is scientifically proven to reduce blood pressure and stress levels as well as improve sleep quality, mood, energy levels and focus. Sloths already know this, of course – that’s why they’re so stress-free. So go find a forest and stand in it. Even a little park will do. Breathe in and out, look around and go ahead – give a tree a hug. You’ll feel better." (Quoting from the book)