How Robitussin (and robotripping) has taught me to slow down.

My mind is on overdrive all the time.  Literally, all the time.  I’ve tried everything to calm it down, yoga, running, working out hard so that I’m physically exhausted and need to pass out, but usually they just act as band aids. A few days will pass and I’ll wake up with crazy thoughts at all hours of the night.

Except this week. Why? Well, I’ve been coughing up a storm,  feverish, sore throat, the works.  And since I don’t get sick often, when I do, it feels deathly.   So, on my way to the office yesterday while I was picking up my go-to  Advil Cold and Sinus – I decided to get Robitussin for my cough.

I took a cupful (which btw, is double the dosage, but I didn’t agree with it) and almost instantaneously, started getting hazy.  Hazy in that, “I feel awesome, and this is going to suck when it wears off” hazy.

So, what does Robitussin and semi-robotripping have to do with slowing down?  Well, the Robitussin made me physically and mentally slow, so I was only capable of doing one thing at a time.  I couldn’t keep my RSS and Tweetdeck open at once, I could’t have an im conversation and look at new design schemes, I couldn’t read an email on one screen and share an article on another… or whatever other crazy variation of multitasking I attempt on a daily basis.

I had to slow down.  I couldn’t not, it wasn’t even an option.  I physically couldn’t process too many things at once.

Once my Robitussin wears off, I’ll probably go back to not being as slow, but it has taught me to slow down once in a while. Twitter streams and emails and ims will all still be there when  I’m done writing this post.

But the truth is, it goes for everything in life.  If you’re with someone at dinner, put the phone away.  There are very few people I do that with, and not b/c I dont care about the present company, I just…apparently am too connected at all times.  Why I feel its necessary to have my gtalk and tweetie and aim on my phone at all times I’m not sure.  Sure it makes for an easy im convo instead of txting, but I feel like its so easy to lose whats surrounding us.  I walk into a bar and every other person is on their phone.  Hey, wake up call…if you’re at a  bar txting someone else, go meet that person.  And if they dont want to, dont bother txting them while you’re out.  Its easy.   And sure, sometimes its to see who else wants to meet up, or you know… people checking into FourSquare or whatever, but really… be a little present.  Focus on one (maybe 2 things at a time) and I promise it’ll feel awesome at the end of the day.

Eh, this might just be the Robitussin talking…b/c as I write this my aim icon is flashing, and as much as I want to, refuse to look at it until I get this sentence finished.  :)

So, I’ll just leave you with this song to end my post….

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