The Art of Slow Living: Simple Changes, Bigger Impact

Whenever I look at job descriptions and I see this phrase or something similar to it “fast-paced environment”, I automatically close the ad and move to something else. It’s not for me because it means unnecessary stress and being constantly on the go. From my experience, as a Black woman in a corporate environment, that usually means carrying more and additional pressure. I want my version of a soft life: slow living.

We live in a world that celebrates rushing from one thing to another without a moment of respite, to acknowledge an achievement. We expect things now and roam in an instant gratification society. If something is delayed by five minutes, our patience wanes.

Eventually, the continuous pressure of hustle culture and working in a “fast-paced environment” has an effect on our personal wellness. Our bodies and minds can’t keep up. Then, we burnout. Unfortunately, some of us go through this cycle multiple times without a solution in place. This is where the art of slow living comes in. Making simple changes that have a bigger impact in the way that we live.

I feel that being on the go was more acceptable in the past. However in recent years, I’ve started to see the change to how I respond that. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that a degree of hustling is needed to get to where I want to be in the next few years. Simultaneously, I’ve also experienced the benefits of combining slow living into my lifestyle. Where I can approach both work and play in a balanced and sustainable way.

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What Is Slow Living

Slow living is a concept and a conscious approach to life that involves living slower. Taking the time to appreciate each moment, and prioritise what matters to you in life. It’s about enjoying life’s pleasures with mindfulness and intention, and showing a deeper appreciation to sensory experiences by living in the present.

This approach of living may not be for everyone, but it’s hard not to desire a slow pace in life. For me, it’s about being intentional. That means putting functional boundaries in place, by re-evaluating what I say yes to and feeling more confident about what I say no to.

What Does It Mean To Live A Slow Life

Living a slow life looks like savouring each moment, romanticising the small things, whereby you curate a more meaningful lifestyle, by consciously choosing to practice gratitude for the things that you value. Instead of striving to fit as many things in one day and doing them faster (and at times, less efficiently), slow living focuses on slowing down and doing things better, doing less and prioritising spending more time on the things that matter.

It’s about being present in the moment, living a life in awareness, making purposeful decisions that are both beneficial for your wellness and the planet. Instead of being on autopilot, you make space for reflection and self-awareness.

How Do You Prioritise This Philosophy

It can be seen as privilege to adopt slow living; for some this option may come freely than it does for others. What I find beautiful about this concept is that it’s not a one size fits all approach. It’s a personal approach. There is no set way or path that everyone has to follow to integrate it into their lifestyle. It’s helpful to look at this concept from a perspective, see what I can take from it and apply it to my life.

To me, prioritising this philosophy is taking the first step to making a small change. For instance, my phone is a distraction and it stops me from focusing on the task at hand. One of the first things that I did was create a ‘Work Focus’ setting on my phone. I turned off all notifications for social media, set timers for winding down in the evenings, assigned time limits for each task and time limits for social media. That way I have limited every possible distraction that comes from my phone. If I want to check social media, it’s because I want to. I like having that choice as I am actively choosing to do it, opposed to being forced to due to the notifications.

What Behaviours Can You Adopt To Embrace Slow Living

The first thing is to get clear on what areas of your life you want to slow down. There may be some areas that you like the pace and don’t want it to change. Think about your daily routine and the instances where you’ve wished you had more time to enjoy a moment. Maybe answering these questions may help you figure that out:

1. What is important to you?
2. Do you have regular free time to enjoy your hobbies?
3. How often are you on your phone or in front of a screen?
4. What activities in your life feel like an obligation/chore?
5. How often do you spend time in a nature?
6. Do you have time for self-care?
7. How often do you take time to unplug each day?

The first way to integrating slow living into your life is through your daily habits. It could be your morning routine, your evening routine, how you make your daily tea or coffee.

When I first started my job after my Masters degree, I started to go to the gym in the mornings because I didn’t have the energy to do it after work. Going to the gym is a non-negotiable for me. Eventually, I was rushing from the gym to make it to work on time and it wasn’t going to be sustainable in the long run. I had to make some choices and one of those was to wake up earlier so that I could enjoy my training sessions and my overall morning routine to still make it to work on time. It wasn’t an easy choice but it’s an activity that is important to me.

I’m still training in the mornings to this day. I’ve found that I enjoy doing something for me first thing in the morning before I log online and dedicate eight hours to my 9-5.

Intersecting A Slow Life

Slow living can encompass a wide variety of things such as faith, travel, fashion, fitness, finances etc. With travelling, it is easy to jam pack your itinerary with activities and not have a day to rest or do nothing. My trip to Seychelles was the first time that I included days to do absolutely nothing and it was weird at first. Then by the time I travelled to St. Kitts, I embraced days of rest through travel.

It’s okay to slow down, it’s okay to do things at a slower pace. There is no need to rush, there is no need to not have days off from the gym. You’re not behind, you’re living life at your own pace and to sustain the race, sometimes you need to embrace your season of waiting. That is the art of slow living.

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Do you embrace slow living or do you prefer to be on the go? I hope that this post has given you a different perspective to how you want to curate your life. Make sure to hit that subscribe button to join the community and never miss out on a post. Find me on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok for more powerlifting and wellness content.

Until next time,

Folakemi