What Is Slow Living And Why Is It Trending?

In the age of where there’s an app to practically facilitate everything and anything you need as quick as possible, it’s more important than ever to slow down.  It has been said that in the past few years,  that a  lifestyle of rushing and wanting everything to be done “now” has a negative impact on emotional, physical and spiritual life. It dampens moments of joy and pleasure and can create feelings of guilt and anxiety during times you should be calm and enjoying the moment.  Coming out of Slow Food, a movement born in Italy in the late ’80s, Slow Living is a response to all those things; a resistance to the pressure that you must do everything in a hurry and fill your days with activities that serve little purpose.  It’s about taking the time to enjoy life and the people you share it with. It’s about spending time with family and friends and pursuing things you love to do and that makes you feel happy.  Slow Living, then, according to Honore, is all about “living deliberately” rather than “sailing through life on automatic pilot”.  So given that this obviously easier said than done, here are a few steps on how you can start practicing the art of slow living:

Take time away from your phone: 

Turn your phone off every day for an hour or two – trust us, it will make a difference.  We are all so attached to our phones and it’s becoming so unhealthy that it’s led to spending less time being present and more about looking at other people’s lives on the internet. During the time you have it off, maybe focus on crossing things off your to-do list or do something fun!

Practice Mindfulness: 

Mindfulness is about living life rather than simply existing, which is a trap many of us fall into when we’re busy. It’s about being present in the moment and experiencing the things – both good and painful – that happen to you and around you. To practice mindfulness, try to be present even for a few minutes a day and you’ll notice how freeing it will fee.

Prioritize time with people that make you feel good: 

Make time to be around family or friends that inspire you and make you feel good. Mark one or two days every month ahead of time so that you can remember to allow time for it and not come up with excuses.

Practice doing one thing at a time: 

Try to not do more than one thing at a time. We know it’s difficult but when you try to juggle a multitude of activities, you can often end up doing none of them very well and simply becoming anxious and stressed.