Discover the art of slow living
As the world gathers speed, slow living is making a comeback.
Slow Living is a movement where people decide to live a more balanced, meaningful life through slowing things down and appreciating both the world around them and what they have.
Some people define Slow Living as simply making more time for self-care. Others define it as stepping away from ‘traditional’ goals – such as full-time employment or mainstream schooling – in pursuit of a slower lifestyle.
However you choose to define Slow Living, there are some core principles that tie it together. For example, breathing, self-care, and prioritising relationships.
It’s not always easy to slow down or push ‘pause’ on commitments, but sprinkling some Slow Living principles throughout your daily life can help you feel calmer, especially when the world feels chaotic.
Now is the time to take a moment and really embrace the movement of Slow Living.
Here are some of the core principles of Slow Living. Maybe you’ll find something here that will work for you.
Take time to breathe (deeply)
Simple? Yes – but all too easy to forget. Deep breathing is an excellent (and free!) way to invite more slowness into your everyday life.
Consciously slowing down your breath will help you to feel more connected to your senses and grounded in the present moment.
If you’re new to breathing as a mindfulness tool, try one of our Guided Breathing Exercises to get started.
Embrace simplicity
One of the main philosophies of the Slow Living movement is the idea of voluntary simplicity, where you can choose to remove the excess from your life to enjoy things more.
This could take the form of decluttering your home Marie Kondo-style, where you get rid of the items that no longer ‘spark joy’. Your home is your den, your comfort, so getting rid of mess will let you create a warmer, more welcoming place to enjoy each day.
Slow down to cook
Cooking is a great way to experience slow living. In fact, there’s even a Slow Food Movement that promotes traditional cooking.
Try slowing down to cook and appreciate eating food – engaging with the sensory experience of textures, tastes, and smells.
Not only will this help you enjoy your food more, but it’s also an excellent way to practice mindfulness.
Spend more time on relationships that matter
Slow Living is essentially a reallocation of time. It’s about deciding what values are deeply, truly important to you, and seeing if you can reshuffle your life to create more space for these values.
Spending time with loved ones is an important value to many, yet it’s often difficult to prioritise.
When it comes to relationships, little things can go a long way. For example:
Enjoying a meal together (virtually if they’re in another household, or in person if they’re someone you’re self-isolating with) without any other digital distractions.
Setting aside 30 minutes per day to listen to a loved one (whether digitally or in person), again free of any other distractions.
Set aside time for yourself
While it’s not always easy to step back from our commitments, it’s still important to have alone time peppered throughout your life. Alone time is healthy for your mind.
Alone time also lets you refresh, and gives you time to work on your own projects and goals.
Move your body regularly
Moving your body – especially in nature – helps to shift your attention from the buzz of daily responsibilities and onto the current moment.
By moving regularly – whether that’s doing an exercise session at home or taking a morning stroll – you can allow your brain more time to rest.
Take digital detoxes
A recurring theme throughout all Slow Living principles is spending less time tethered to digital devices – be that your phone, television or computer.
Taking regular digital detoxes often forces you to slow down – to nap instead of scrolling the internet or watch the clouds instead of checking your emails.
If you take just one tip from the Slow Living movement, it’s to ‘disconnect to reconnect’ – to nature, yourself, your surroundings – as often as you can. Your mind and body will likely thank you for it.