015: My Doctor Told Me to Slow Down…and It Changed Everything

ByKelBailey

What started as a routine annual checkup turned into a lesson I didn’t know I needed.

In this episode, I’m sharing a deeply personal story about a conversation with my doctor—one that began with my heart rate while running and slowly unfolded into a much bigger realization about how I was moving through my life.

I thought I was living slowly.
I thought I was being intentional.
But it turns out… I was rushing far more than I realized.

The Conversation That Sparked a Shift

During my annual exam, I casually asked my doctor about my heart rate while running—mostly hoping to prove my husband wrong in a friendly little household squabble. Instead, my doctor confirmed what my husband had been noticing all along: my heart rate was too high, and I needed to slow down.

Not just a little bit.
A lot.

At first, slowing down felt frustrating. Running at a slower pace felt harder mentally, even though it was safer physically. But as the weeks went on, something unexpected happened—I began to enjoy the run itself again. Not the accomplishment. Not the finish line. The actual process.

And that’s when the lesson started to spill into the rest of my life.

Rushing Toward Invisible Finish Lines

As I slowed down physically, I became aware of how hurried my energy was everywhere else.

Mornings with my kids felt chaotic—even though we weren’t actually short on time.
Every task felt like something to “get through.”
Even moments I labeled as rest were treated like rewards I had to earn… and then rush through.

I realized I was constantly chasing invisible finish lines:

  • Getting through the morning
  • Crossing items off a to-do list
  • Finishing work so I could finally relax
  • Completing one thing just to hurry to the next

And when I arrived at those “finish lines,” I didn’t feel fulfilled. I just thought, What’s next?

Slowing Down Isn’t Falling Behind

This episode explores what happened when I made a mental shift alongside the physical one.

Slowing down didn’t make me lazy.
It didn’t mean I stopped caring or stopped showing up.
It meant I started being present.

I began noticing:

  • The conversations at the breakfast table
  • The quiet moments during a run
  • The ordinary in-between parts of the day
  • How much calmer my nervous system felt

Life didn’t suddenly become easier—but it became fuller.

What This Episode Invites You to Consider

This conversation is an invitation to gently reflect on your own pace.

  • Where are you rushing unnecessarily?
  • What invisible finish lines are you chasing?
  • What moments are you trying to “get through” instead of experience?
  • What would it look like to slow down—just a little—in one part of your day?

Because the run was never the point.
The dress was never the point.
The destination was never the point.

The journey is.

Listen to the Episode

 My Doctor Told Me to Slow Down—and It Changed Everything
Available now on Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts.

If this episode resonated with you, I’d be so grateful if you shared it with a friend, left a review, or sent me a message to tell me what slowing down has looked like in your own life.

Until next time—may your coffee be warm, your pace be gentle, and your moments be fully lived.

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