Living a Slower Life
Photo taken by Lacie Wilkinson (@wilkinsonandco), Model is Holly Fraser and Hair styled by Jess Longhurst
Be slow. An act of sitting in stillness or simply slowing down your everyday life. Not an easy task if you’re someone like me who moves at 100miles per hour and is constantly feeling guilty when they have a moment of nothingness.
As of late I have found myself in a moment of my life where I have been forced to be still and be okay with doing nothing. What a powerful shift in my life it has been the last few weeks to go from 100-0 in an instant and I am grateful for every second of it. I will say though, you don’t have to be experiencing injury or illness to start consciously slowing down the speed in which you move through life. It can be something that you add to your everyday routine slowly overtime.
I thought it would be fitting to sit down and reflect on what it actually means to be slow and to appreciate the little things again. Because the small moments are what make the bigger moments matter.
Here are 5 things I have considered as handy tools to implement to create a slower lifestyle:
Learn to say no and do less
It’s not always the easy choice to stay home from social events or activities. But I truly believe that listening to your body and mind to rest is the best way to replenish the energy storage bank. I’m not suggesting missing out on important events for no reason but I am recommending that a little rest can go a long way. Also keeping in mind that everybody recharges their energy in different ways and yours might be recharged through social interactions. Overall, a small decision to stay in on that Friday night you’d usually go clubbing or maybe taking a rest day from the gym, is such a powerful way to slow down your life and be more productive on the tasks you do choose to complete.
2. Be present
Staying present doesn’t refer to just physically being present in a room, it’s about actively listening and participating. You might not know it in the moment but sometimes when life is a little overwhelming mentally, I find that it’s easy to withdraw from conversations. Actively listening allows for a well articulated response and brings you closer to the people you love most. Not only does it bring you closer but it also makes you feel more present in the moment, ultimately leading to feeling less overwhelmed in a crazy busy life.
3. Appreciate the small things
When life gets chaotic it’s sometimes easy to overlook the smaller moments. I find that the smaller moments include the things that make the bigger moments matter. It’s about awareness within your everyday life and paying attention to the details. Details such as, the beauty in nature around you, the sound of your best friends laugh, a thoughtful act of kindness for a stranger or maybe even just reminding yourself of what you’re grateful for each day.
4. Eat slower and more consciously
Apart of being a human is to make sure we eat good foods throughout each and every day. I find that it can quite easy to mindlessly eat, especially when you’re really hungry haha
Not only does eating slower aid for better digestion it can also increase hydration and help you feel a sense of satiety after each meal. Mindful eating also makes you feel more present within the moment especially if you’re out for a meal with a friend/family.
Since eating is something we do quite regularly, slowing down this act is an easy starting point if you’re not sure how to start this newer way of navigating your everyday life.
5. Disconnect to reconnect
I know I’ve been banging on about the things you can do to be more present and to be actively involved in everyday life, however, I feel when it comes to phones, disconnection is necessary.
Leaving the phone at home on the weekend, switching it onto DND (do not disturb) mode or even just changing your settings to receive less notifications, are all things you can do to switch off.
In a world where social media is apart of each and every day, posting daily updates on your Instagram stories, checking activity statuses or even tracking locations on Snapchat maps. I feel like turning off, even if only for a short while, slows down your mind and allows you to reconnect with the little things I mentioned earlier. Connection is what brings us as humans closer together.
The list could quite honestly be endless when it comes to finding tools to slow down your life. But I think that the key take away within this blog is to remember that life is short and if you don’t slow down to appreciate the small things, you’ll blink and you’ll be wishing you soaked in the moments that really meant something.