At the end of 2025, I identified my 2026 One Little Word and theme for the year as “slow.” I purposely didn’t say too much about the why behind choosing the word then and promised to reveal a bit more as we got into 2026.

This is what I started with:

For 2026, I decided to keep a note in my phone to document all of the tiny, daily ways I am choosing to slow down. I’ll end with a short reflection on this month, following my list.

2026 SLOW

January 

• Waited while parked to fully get my CFA settled before (eating &) driving on our trip back to GA from TN. 
• Slowed my speed of driving back under the speed limit on the Interstate despite the fact that I was keeping up with traffic.
• Took my time slowly cutting up and washing fruit for fruit salad; I am not a contestant on a cooking show with a countdown timer- it’s real life, and I’m not in a hurry.
• Audio books on regular speed instead of 1.35-1.50. There’s no prize for finishing faster or listening harder.
• Started a physical spending tracker sheet each month. Seeing how I can limit and slow down on purchasing impulsively. Multiple benefits for this. 
• Cleaned dishes and reset the kitchen unhurriedly. Again. I’m not racing against a clock to see how fast I can move. 
• Didn’t go inside CFA after waiting longer than usual on my mobile order, even when the app said a Team Member was on the way for over 10 minutes, even when I really wanted to. Patience, Claire. 
• Didn’t rush to make a grocery order to beat me home from holiday travels. We had enough to make do. I got home, unpacked, took inventory, made a list, and put in an order for the following day. Nothing bad happened. I saved myself the angst of trying to get home, unpack, sort mail, and settle in without having a counter full of groceries to put away. 
• Didn’t Google Elizabeth Olsen during Eternity movie- just enjoyed the movie without finding out what other movies or shows I’ve seen her in. I still don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. 
• No phone use while waiting at the UPS Store, even though I was 17th in line.
• Got overwhelmed with my thoughts about all that’s coming this summer while meal prepping and felt myself shallow breathing. Went to my bedroom to stretch out and close my eyes for a few minutes.
• Watched YT Francis Chan The Power of a Quiet Life.
• Took IG and FB off my phone during the week and am strictly limiting weekend use. ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ 
• Didn’t have butter for baked potatoes, did without; forgot tortillas for baked enchiladas- made my own instead of reacting by rushing off to the store or doing a delivery for only a few things— practiced waiting until the next week to order groceries. One grocery order per week- no one-off grocery runs. 
• Said no to a professional opportunity even after multiple rounds of communications and an in-person meeting— despite the chance for a significant amount of income from an extra writing gig. I’m learning that just because it’s a good opportunity doesn’t mean I have to say yes if it feels off. Disappointing the person offering > overworking myself. 
• One thing at a time, most mornings. Kate’s lunch. Stop. Feed and walk dogs. Stop. Make my bed. Stop. Coffee/Tea. Sit and enjoy. No longer leaving it sitting around getting cold and reheating over and over. 
• Put IG back on my phone for the weekend- NOPE, not ready. It’s too much information, too much stimulation. 
• Simmered a pot of soup all day; grated fresh Parmesan, made muffins, and enjoyed the entire meal after anticipating it all day.
• Started a slow watch of Felicity; one episode every few days. 
• Slow progress on my quilt squares. 
• Taking heavy grocery bags inside one at a time instead of loading up my arms and hurrying to get them all in at once. I’m not living in an episode of The Amazing Race. One thing at a time. 
• Haven’t set an alarm for over two weeks just to let myself rest until I feel ready to wake up— usually between 7:10-730. 
• Have been opening all blinds and turning on all lights first thing to trick my brain into the light it needs.
• Have had a plantar fascia flare up; took three weeks off of power walks, except a few SLOW laps around the circle to let my foot heal. 
• “It’s not that my days are empty. I still do a lot. I just don’t do it like I’m late for my own life. Everything gets to take the time that it takes.” (A quote I read somewhere.)
• Have been slowing down to re-read texts and emails before sending them. Avoiding hurried mistakes and also making sure I’m actually saying what I mean. 
• Kept a written spending sheet separate from our EveryDollar budget for every time I made a purchase- gas, food, groceries, misc— in an effort to spend slowly and reduce impulse or dopamine spending. 
• Had several items I needed to get from Amazon- knives, pens, a water kettle, sewing scissors, and a book. Have been slowly adding to the cart all month, and once I knew I was finished shopping, I intentionally left the cart open for over 5 days before finally placing the order. 
• Spotify soothing Christian acoustic mix playlist on repeat; “Quiet” by Diana Trout/Hillside Recording- LOVE 
• Started a new church small group on holy habits; saw that it’s based on three different books- two of which I have and one which I don’t. I instinctively put the one I haven’t read into an Amazon cart. But then, after a few hours, thought- NOPE. I can enjoy and participate in this class without compulsively needing to own and read a copy of the book. I can listen, learn, and get the gist of the content in the class through discussion. No prize for having read all of the books. 
• Started the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook to slowly work through it; hoping to deepen mindfulness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance strategies

Reflection:

There were 31 entries here. This list is long, and frankly, quite indulgent. I kept the list and continued adding to it because I’m a big believer in the value of using data to help clarify and rectify a problem.

Honestly, reading over this list ahead of writing this post made me feel a bit of embarrassment, sadness, and also some clarity on why I find myself in such a place of chronic stress in both my body and mind. This was eye-opening for me to sit with some of how I’ve been operating on autopilot and helped me to understand, well, of course you feel this way, look at the way you have been living.

I don’t have answers or solutions yet. What I am doing is asking the Lord to help me continue to see where I have been living and moving and being in a way that isn’t serving me. I have asked God to not only show me where and how I am doing it, but I am asking him to reveal even more deeply why I have been doing it, what it says about my trust and belief in His power, and my own fear of loss of control. Ultimately, I am asking him to show me a better way– one that rests and relies on truth and grace, not striving and working to outwit God.

There are several verses in Matthew 11:25-30, known as the “come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest” passage. I’ve often read and studied this and thought about how the idea of that passage is nice. It makes sense to find rest for my soul through the trading of my burdens for God’s yoke, but in a practical way, I have never truly understood what it means. Like in a tangible, tactical way, how do I do this? I believe the noticing I’ve been doing and the choices I have been making about slowing down are revealing these answers to me.

Tired of the hustle? The heavy-laden burden? Tired of hurrying through every movement of your day? Tired of feeling like your body is racing against an imaginary clock or your brain is bracing for ??? something ??? to happen and you feel a compulsion to overthink, overwork, and overdo? I know I certainly am. This practice of slowing down feels like God’s way of nudging me and offering me his rest and gentleness.

As this year goes on, I will keep adding to my notes each month, not only in hopes of a continued practice of calling out the places I can choose to slow down, but also with the benefit of knowing that there is a new way of existing. One in which God is offering me a better way.