A Guide To Slow Living And Enjoying Life
In a world that often feels more fast-paced, busier & more hectic than ever, it’s easy to get swept up in the feeling of needing to do more, just to keep up.
But the trouble is, sometimes we spend so much time and energy trying to keep up and fit everything into our days that we can’t even enjoy them.
When you intentionally slow down your days and your life, it helps you become more present and mindful in your days. And even better, when you aren’t rushing from one thing to the next, struggling just to keep up, life can be a lot more enjoyable!
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Here’s how.
Start with the right mindset.
The first step to embracing a slower, more enjoyable way of living is to begin with your mindset. Take some time this week to write down the recurring words that repeat in your head.
Are you constantly telling stories that make you feel as though there is never enough time in the day ? What is the overall tone of your inner dialogue?
Regardless of what your work/family/lifestyle may look like, we get to choose what we say to ourselves on a daily basis.
Start each morning by tell yourself that there is enough time in the day. When that voice tells you that you don’t have time for lunch, remind yourself that in fact you do. At the end of the day take the time to write down one good thing that happened that day or that you are grateful for.
These simple practices are so important when it comes to bringing more enjoyment and less stress into each day. With time your mindset can also be the fuel you need to make necessary lifestyle changes that will bring you closer to the kind of slow living lifestyle you wish to have.
Listen to your body.
How are you treating your body — be honest!
Are you taking time to create space around meal time to enjoy, appreciate, and digest your food.
Are your treating your body with the respect it deserves by giving it consistent movement, and self-care?
Where do you feel you could improve and treat your body better?
Rather than approaching it from a place of punishment, choose to view your body as the miracle vessel that it is. Your body is this incredible physical shape that protects your beautiful soul and allows you to do all the wonderful things you were meant to do in this world.
So if you want to incorporate slow living into your life, your body has to be on board. So how can you treat your body better?
Can you say kind words to it each day and night.
Can you take 30 minutes uninterrupted for meals?
How about self-care? When was the last time you pampered your body with a face mask, a bath, or a long-walk tech free by the beach?
These things are not luxurious they are how we as humans enjoy life, and since when did enjoying your life become an indulgence? If you are feeling this way I want you to remind yourself that you deserve to enjoy life and anyone who tells you differently — well they probably need to read this article more than you do so send them my way!
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How about your lifestyle ?
Lifestyle is the hardest part of slow living, because so many peoples lifestyles are quite literally the exact opposite of slow. We are programmed today to add as much as we possibly can to our plates until we eventually drop everything out of pure exhaustion. This is why when it comes to supporting your health with slow living you need to take a hard look at your lifestyle.
What do you have control over and what do you not?
Are you going to bed way too late?
Are you saying YES way too often when you should be saying NO?
Are you impulse shopping to mask your feelings?
Are you filling your life with things and people who bring you immense joy or just create clutter? And yes you can experience both mental and physical clutter.
If you want to embrace a slower paced lifestyle then you need to get real with where your lifestyle is at right now, and what changes need to be made to get it to the place you want it to be.
So take some time to write out what your dream week would look like. Notice who you would be spending time with, what you are doing, how are you eating and moving, how much FUN are you having, and how you feel?
Now write down what your lifestyle looks like this week. Notice where there are overlaps between the lifestyle you want and the one you currently have.
Appreciate these pieces even if they are small — changing your lifestyle isn’t going to happen overnight and you need to give yourself some grace.
Relationships
Often times our relationships can be one of the most difficult aspects of embracing slow living — especially if you are a care giver constantly being pulled in many directions. When it comes to your closest relationships (I’m talking about your immediate family) it’s important to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
Make sure that your spouse, partner, children, or parents are involved in the conversation about slow living and make sure that everyone has the chance to vocalize their own interests and desires when it comes to slow living. Not everyone may have the same desires as you do and that is 100% okay, everyone is allowed to live the way they want to.
But if you and your close ones are equally on the same page about the lifestyle you want, and especially if you have younger children that still (kind of) do what you tell them to, then why not involve them and try finding different ways to engage them with FUN slow living activities.
This could look like:
More time outside, more craft time.
More time in the garden and kitchen, etc..
Relationships and community have been found to be one of the best indicators of happiness, and since the goal of slow living is to literally enjoy life more, your relationships are a pretty important part to make time for, focus on, and connect with.
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Now that you have worked your way through these steps - it is time to take action.
What do you feel you have the most control to begin improving and working on today?
Where can you bring more slowness, intention, and joy into your life TODAY?
While transitioning to the ultimate slow living lifestyle of your dreams may take time, you can start enjoying your life more this very moment. Your life isn’t waiting for you — it’s happening right now, and we hope you take a moment to take a deep breathe, slow down, and relish in just how wonderful it is to be alive today.
Image | @scarletent
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