The slow-living movement has taken over the influencer world. ASMR artists and Instagram gurus promote the lifestyle as a healing alternative to the modern world, but what does it look like in practice? Use these tips to learn about slow living and determine how it could fit into your daily routine.
What Does Slow Living Mean?
Fast-paced lifestyles have a few features most people can recognize. It’s the adrenaline rush that happens when you’re late for work, attempting to multitask and striving to reach big milestones quickly.
Slow living reverses that unsustainable mentality. People that prioritize it savor every moment of the day. It leaves them with more energy and happiness, which everyone deserves.
Ways to Slow Down
While there are endless ways to slow down, try these tips to preserve your mental health. See which ideas would work with your current routine and implement them one at a time to ease into your new lifestyle.
1. Treasure an Outdoor Space
Many people spend their entire days indoors. Whether at home, attending a lecture or working in an office, staying inside all day means staying on task. Going outside for a few minutes could be the best first step toward slow living.
Find a quiet space in your backyard or walk a pathway in a nearby park. You’ll benefit from the extra exercise and vitamin D in the sunshine. Research also shows that going outside for short periods improves your focus, so you’ll get more enjoyment from slow living by appreciating each moment that much more.
2. Reduce Your Spending
Ads seek to convince people to buy more things, creating constant, passive pressure. Slow living often results in minimalist lifestyles because you’ll purposefully consider the benefits of spending money before it leaves your wallet. It’s a great budgeting hack and an easy way to start living more slowly.
3. Create Silent Zones
Are you one of the many people who can’t do anything in silence? The continual stimulation of a TV show or podcast could result in more significant anxiety.
Try appreciating silence by turning those things off at least once a day. Your music, audiobooks and streaming services will be there when you return. Set a timer for five to 15 minutes and let yourself enjoy the quiet.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends limiting loud noise exposure to prevent hearing loss, which applies at home and in public spaces. It’s also a good idea because a serene environment reduces stress by eliminating external stimuli.
You could make silent zones a permanent part of your life by adding noise reduction measures to your home. Soundproofing barriers like foam composites dampen sound energy and create a cozy getaway in walk-in closets or home offices. Every effort to reduce or eliminate noise pollution will help you take it easy and enjoy the benefits of slow living.
4. Wake up With Stretches
People who imagine feeling rushed might picture themselves running around the house first thing in the morning. Stretching can make that time of your day more enjoyable. Consider when you feel most awake, like after your shower or breakfast. When you’re least likely to fall back asleep, press play on a stretching video.
Gentle static stretching holds your muscles in place instead of stretching them through rapid movements. It’s perfect for loosening tight muscles and joints, especially after waking up. Take deep breaths with each stretch. You’ll feel like you’ve paused life so everything slows down a bit more.
5. Use Your PTO
Your lunch breaks and weekends might not be enough time to relieve your stress. It’s crucial to remember that your paid time off (PTO) allotment exists for you to use. Schedule a random weekday off or a long weekend and do something relaxing. You could use the opportunity to defeat other anxiety-inducing habits like using social media too much and feeling jealous of everyone’s posts.
6. Limit Your Multitasking
People might praise you often if you’re good at multitasking. The essential skill can save the day but isn’t always healthy. Limit it to certain hours. The rest of the day should be focused on monotasking, which will conserve your energy and restore your focus. You’ll feel more confident handling responsibilities because slow living inspired you to try a more restful approach to life.
7. Eat More Mindfully
Turn your next snack or meal into a slow-living tool. Take each bite slowly and savor the ingredients mixing to form your food’s flavor. Chew carefully until the food breaks down before swallowing. You’ll be more present for your dining experience and gain a few health benefits.
Eating slowly is more relaxing than pushing through a meal to continue your day. Even small habits support the reduced-stress lifestyle of slow living. You’ll also conserve your energy, which increases the diet-induced thermogenesis process that helps your body absorb nutrients.
8. Practice Routine Meditation
Slow living could be the perfect opportunity to start meditating. Meditation is the practice of slowing your thoughts and breathing. You’ll bring your body and mind to calmer states, soothing your nervous system from a long period of constant stress. Try following a guide or video at least a few times weekly to get better at pausing your routine.
9. Plan Your Time
It’s much easier to avoid rushing to work or school if you plan your day well. Reflect on your current schedule to see how much of it you’ve planned and how much is influenced by chance. Purposeful steps, like setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier or prepping your meals, could be the key to finding more time so you can slow down.
10. Value Saying No
Turning down an opportunity to help someone is challenging, but sometimes that’s the best option. You’ll only further strain your overall well-being by adding another responsibility to your list if you already feel stressed. Slow living prioritizes time for self-care. If you’re always doing things for others, saying no might be the best way to start.
Start Enjoying the Benefits of Slow Living
Anyone can try slow living to enjoy the benefits right away. Consider your current routine to decipher what causes you the most stress or anxiety. These tips will target those high-stress parts of your life so it’s easier to slow down without falling behind.
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