I can hardly believe it’s already 10PM. Again.

Every day, little tasks become a battle against the clock as we slowly learn to surrender our sleep, diet, and exercise. And as technology makes us more readily available, the seemingly unimportant quiet time driving can be taken up by a phone call from a colleague or a customer.

There is hope though. Thanks to New Scientist, you can finally Teach Your Brain to Stretch Time. What lovely timing.

All sarcasm aside, if there’s anything you can take away from the article, it’s that many things come before a job — simple things such as soaking up sun and cozying up next to a fireplace with a cup of hot tea with a person you love dearly. Because I’m not so sure we’re supposed to watch 40 hours a week fly by and let the stress of it spill over to the other 40 you have left. Because maybe that’s why we get fat with age and not because aging causes us to get fat. Because, shit, I’m twenty-ish and each proceeding year seems to spin faster than the last.

I think Robert Levine was most accurate when he said this:

“Time is our most valuable possession. Until the biomedical people can make us live forever, the closest thing we have is to stretch the moment.”

Another thing to consider is the universal fact of how a shorter work week and frequent breaks can actually increase productivity. From an article in Zenhabits:

“This no-rush attitude doesn’t represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the “now”, present and concrete, versus the “global”, undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans’ essential values, the simplicity of living.”

With all this in mind, here are a few ways to help you slow down, increase productivity while simultaneously increasing enjoyment you can get out of our short little lives:

1. Can’t get out of bed in the morning? Purchase an alarm clock that gradually wakes you up via your favorite tunes or morning radio program. During my college years, I had mine tuned into NPR. It was a great way to jump start my brain while staying in touch w/headline news, and a great alternative to the standard obtrusive alarm clock beeping.

2. During business travel, I always request a free room upgrade with a jacuzzi. 4 out of 5 times, I get what I want because I’m one of their elite members and you can too if you’re a member of their hotel. When that’s not an option, simply soaking in a bathtub at home is a surefire way to relax.

3. Clean as you go. Every time my brother leaves our apartment, he takes trash bags with him and throw them along the way. There is never more than a couple dishes in our sink. We take a few minutes out of our every day to clean our clutter. Containers are your friend. Space is peace. And your mail (and email) should always be sorted. I learned this the hard way.

4. Take a tea break, and eat lunch outside and away from your desk if you can.

5. Cook in bulk. If your cooking is good enough, you’ll enjoy having it three consecutive nights a week. Hey, the boyfriend doesn’t seem to mind.

6. Listen to something stimulating when you’re stuck in traffic. Audio books, NPR, Forum, and itconversations rank pretty high on the list. At least for me, it makes sitting in traffic a pretty exciting time of day. (Sometimes, when i’m parked outside my apartment after sitting in traffic for the past 30 minutes, I’d continue to sit in my car in order to finish a program)

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Other fantastic links on living slow and simple:

Think Simple Now shows you the basics on how to live an uncluttered and simple life.

Zen Habits shows you how to take control of a crazy life.

Slow Down Now says multi-tasking is moral weakness. (Stay in bed! Get that extra hour of sleep!)