The “Slowing Down to Speed Up” Self-Check

A Simple Check-In to Avoid Burnout, Flare-Ups, and Backslides.

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🔹 Purpose: To help patients recognize when their pace, expectations, or mindset may be outpacing their nervous system’s readiness—so they can pause, reset, and move forward with less resistance and more resilience.

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🔹 Why This Matters: In both rehab and life, many setbacks come not from doing too little—but from doing too much, too soon, too fast. This tool teaches that healing isn’t a race—it’s a process of listening, adjusting, and honoring the body’s pace. When patients learn to slow down strategically, they often make steadier, more sustainable progress.

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🧭 Steps: The “Slowing Down to Speed Up” Self-Check

A moment to pause, reflect, and choose a pace that serves healing—not just productivity.

Step 1: Notice the Urge to Push

Before you move, ask:

▫️ Am I rushing?

▫️ Am I trying to prove something—to myself or others?

▫️ Am I overriding signals from my body?

“Urgency is often fear in disguise.”

Step 2: Scan Your System

Check in with:

▫️ Breath – Is it short or steady?

▫️ Body – Where am I holding tension?

▫️ Mind – Am I focused or scattered?

Tip: A single deep breath can shift you from reaction to reflection.

Step 3: Choose One Way to Slow Down

▫️ Soften the intensity or duration

▫️ Add pauses or breath between reps

▫️ Change the goal from performance to presence

“Slower doesn’t mean weaker—it means wiser.”

Step 4: Anchor in Permission

▫️ Say it out loud: “I don’t need to rush to heal.”

▫️ Write a cue word or phrase you can revisit when old habits creep in

▫️ Let this become a new rhythm, not a one-time detour

Step 5: Reflect After the Movement

Ask:

▫️ How did that feel?

▫️ Did slowing down change the experience?

▫️ What did I learn about my system’s needs today?

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🔄 Reflection Prompts

Use these before a movement session, during a flare-up, or anytime you feel the pull to “push through” without checking in.

1. What’s driving my pace right now?

▫️ A desire to feel normal again?

▫️ Fear of losing progress?

▫️ Pressure from others?

▫️ Guilt for resting?

2. What is my system telling me—if I actually listen?

▫️ Do I feel rushed or calm?

▫️ Is there tension in my breath, shoulders, or gut?

▫️ Does this feel like a gentle challenge—or a forced demand?

3. What would slowing down look like today?

▫️ Fewer reps or a shorter walk?

▫️ More rest between movements?

▫️ A breath before I begin?

4. What might I gain by slowing down?

▫️ Better awareness of my limits

▫️ Less risk of flaring up

▫️ A calmer experience of the same task

▫️ Permission to trust the process

5. What’s one thing I’ll do differently today?

Write it here:_____________________________

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🌿 Optional Daily Affirmation

“Today, I give myself permission to pause—I’m trusting the process.”

This resource is part of The Wondering Clinician Toolkit. It’s not medical advice—just a tool to support learning, reflection, and healing. Always consult your clinician when needed.