Slow life can become a remedy for a reality that is accelerating. Society is rushing ahead, not looking at those who are left behind. Many people fear that if they don’t keep up with the rest, they will miss out on something, and their lives won’t be good enough. Such pressure can cause a life of stress, chronic fatigue, substance addictions such as marijuana addiction, or behavioral addictions such as shopaholism, among others.
That’s why the slow life philosophy has emerged as a response to living too fast. It is a solution for those who want to change their daily life and stop over the present. But what exactly is this approach based on, how to introduce the basic principles of slow life into your daily life, and is the idea of slow life really the answer to the rush of the modern world?
Living in a hurry – how to cope?
Constant stress, demanding work, household chores, childcare… The world imposes a very fast pace of life on people and does not allow them to stop even for a moment to breathe. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and tired by this. The pressure can also take a toll on your mental and physical health. Every day, people are stressed by their responsibilities at work, reach for unhealthy convenience foods and don’t have time to rest. Many people who function in this system complain of job burnout, fatigue and a sense of not getting by. You may also notice similar symptoms in yourself if you have been living in constant anxiety and haste for a long time. So it is not surprising that some people have decided to find a solution to this situation and rebel against such a lifestyle.
Some have taken refuge in religion or philosophy, started meditation and are trying to find spiritual balance. Others have defied the odds in a different way, giving up chasing impossible demands and constantly fulfilling tasks and duties that have no deeper meaning for them. They refused to be tired, stressed, without the opportunity to rest and find time for themselves and loved ones.
Slow life – what is it?
You are probably still wondering, however, what is slow life? The answer to this question is very simple. It is a lifestyle that encourages a person to slow down, to be attentive and to change pace. The name of this philosophy comes from the English language. Its translation is literally “slow life.” The term encapsulates the whole essence of what slow life can mean. As you begin your adventure with this philosophy, keep in mind that you must first of all put yourself and your needs first. Observe yourself carefully to understand what you really need and what is most important to you.
In a nutshell, slow life can also be defined as enjoying every day. No moment will happen a second time, so it is worth experiencing each day slowly and deeply, all the moments of your life, looking at them carefully and treating them as something special and unique. Sometimes the hours flow through our fingers on performing the same duties over and over again in a hurry. Perhaps you happen to look at your calendar and wonder where all those days, weeks or even months have escaped to? The slow life philosophy is designed to protect you from slipping away time from which nothing inspiring or important comes.
Slow life , then, is a lifestyle that can mean something different for everyone. Some people carefully plan how they will pursue this philosophy and reach for principles such as slow business, slow food or slow fashion. Other people, on the other hand, forgo top-down rules and simply focus on experiencing each moment in their own way. The important thing here is to calm the pace of your life and redefine your own priorities and values. By doing so, you can achieve peace, relax and focus on experiencing everything that happens to you in a satisfying way. By experiencing the spirit of slow you will eliminate stress, unhealthy rush from your life and direct your attention to beautiful and positive things worth keeping in your memory. You will stop avoiding the present, you will stop feeling that time is constantly running away from you, even though you are not experiencing what you would like to and not fulfilling your dreams.
The story of slow life. Slow food, slow fashion
The slow life slogan has been around for many years, specifically since Italian food critic Carlo Perlini started a boycott of McDonald’s restaurants – also known as fast food. These meals were designed for busy people who had no time to cook for themselves. However, they were also unhealthy and reheated, causing a backlash from the well-known critic, which was quickly picked up by others and turned into a new philosophy known as slow food.
Slow fashion is a movement that is gaining popularity, emphasizing quality rather than quantity in the fashion industry. It encourages people to buy fewer clothes, but invest in better-made pieces that will last longer. The slow fashion movement is a response to the environmental and social problems caused by the fast fashion industry, such as pollution, worker exploitation and waste. Slow fashion advocates more sustainable production methods and materials, as well as ethical labor practices and greater transparency in the supply chain. By investing in slow fashion products, consumers can help reduce their carbon footprint while supporting local businesses and artisans who create beautiful things with love and care.
What is not slow life?
You already know what slow life is, and now it is worth considering what it is not. First of all, it cannot be thought of as something rigid and imposed. So it is not limiting yourself and forcing yourself to do specific things. However, also remember that slow life means slowing down the pace of life and learning to let go and relax, but it does not mean giving up ambitions and responsibilities. Indeed, adopting this philosophy does not imply that you can stop doing anything. Rather, you should look at your priorities and determine what is right for you. After all, Slow life means working on yourself and further development, but at your own pace, not the one imposed by society. Slow life is not passivity and frowning, it is living life to the fullest and enjoying it as you desire.
Remember that slow life is also not comparing yourself with others. If someone around you also lives by this philosophy, don’t confront your achievements with each other. Each of you will slow down and implement specific principles at your individual pace. After all, the essence of slow life is to act according to one’s abilities and requirements, not to chase someone else’s success and try to keep up with others. Focus on yourself, enjoy other people’s achievements and successes, but don’t treat them as something you should strive for.
Slow life philosophy – how to start living slowly? The most important principles of slow life
You already know what the slow life philosophy is about and what aspects of life it covers. So it’s worth considering how to start introducing these principles into your daily life. Learn the principles of slow life, so that step by step you can begin to introduce this peaceful, slow revolution into your life. You don’t have to do it immediately, each change should have its own pace, tailored to your needs, stage of life and capabilities – just as slow life suggests. Learn the seven most important principles of the slow life philosophy that you can build on at the very beginning of your journey to living your daily life mindfully:
- Awareness of life – enjoy every moment, remember extraordinary events, taste good food and catch every ray of sunshine. Feel that your goal is to truly live in harmony with yourself, rather than chasing the unrealistic standards imposed on you by your surroundings. Allow yourself to deeply experience the ongoing moment with the awareness of its uniqueness, start appreciating moments and feel their rhythm. Beauty is hidden in every moment, it is worth remembering this. Also spend time with your loved ones, because life is fleeting and every moment spent with them is extremely valuable, and good relationships with other people, with family, friends are irreplaceable.
- Internal development – slow life does not mean letting go of ambition! So remember about internal development. Change yourself, deepen your competence and develop your world view – all at your own pace. Don’t lose your curiosity about the world, but delight in it and discover it anew every day. There is so much to know and love if you just stop in your tracks and give yourself time to be fascinated by what surrounds you.
- Goal-setting – the modern pace of life often has us chasing from one duty to another, constantly completing tasks and putting out bigger or smaller fires that appear in our daily lives. So it can happen that in this race you forget what is important to you and what you are striving for. So take a moment to indulge in reflection on what your goal in life really is. What are you striving for, what do you want to achieve? What will make you feel satisfied with your accomplishments? Once you have set your goals and laid out a clear path to them, you will be able to pursue them calmly and systematically. It’s also a great way to avoid getting distracted and wasting time on trivial and unimportant matters.
- Time for yourself – the enormity of the responsibilities we have today at home and at work sometimes makes us try to fulfill them at the expense of ourselves. Many people prefer to complete the tasks assigned to them rather than devote this time to their own needs or pleasures. That’s why it’s so important in the slow life philosophy to reclaim the time you set aside just for yourself. It doesn’t matter how you consume it – whether for reading, going for a walk, visiting the beautician or simply taking an extended nap. The important thing is that you do it with yourself in mind. Everyone needs individual time in which they are not burdened by obligations to others and can focus on what is really important to them.
- Contact with nature – modern man is largely isolated from nature and spends most of his time confined within the four walls of his home, office or transportation. This reinforces his sense of alienation and loneliness. Slow life allows you to pay attention to proper contact with nature. Keep this in mind especially during the spring and summer months, when the weather encourages you to get out of the house and spend time in nature. The soothing surroundings of a forest, a meadow, a lake, a park, your own garden or even a balcony decorated with greenery have an extremely beneficial effect on your mood and help calm your nerves. Green areas are also characterized by exceptional aesthetics, allowing you to delight all your senses and perhaps inspire you to make many dreams and interesting plans?
- Conscious rest – although it may seem surprising, not every person can consciously and effectively rest. So take time to properly relax after doing your chores. Allow yourself a bit of “doing nothing”, allowing your body to relax and regenerate. In this way, you will renew your energy, which you will use the next day for the task ahead and to enjoy every passing moment. Remember that rest is not the same as laziness. It can also take an active form, such as walking, reading or taking care of your hobbies.Start adhering to the principle of life balance, bet on balance in your life.
- Controlling the news – nowadays man consumes more news every day than his ancestor did throughout his life. So you can imagine how taxing this is for the human brain. Nowadays, we commonly deal with a phenomenon that is known as doomscrolling. In short, it means spending an enormous amount of time absorbing negative information via a smartphone or computer. This has an adverse effect on the human psyche. After all, you have no influence on unfortunate events from the other side of the world, so tormenting yourself with them makes no sense. This doesn’t mean giving up staying on top of the news, but more like controlling how much and how often you absorb it.
Reap the benefits of a slow life style, it’s how life is worth living
Slow living is an excellent way to get yourself back on track, for example, between your professional and private life. It’s also a method to get rid of many negative feelings from your daily life and to deepen your relationships with close people. Slow life is a style that will certainly help you discover what is actually really important to you and what is your priority. It will make you get rid of many unnecessary, unimportant things that have filled your days so far, even though they meant nothing to you. It’s also a great way to organize not only your mind or calendar, but also your space. Slow life sometimes involves minimalism. Get rid of unnecessary things from your home that don’t bring you joy or even cause unwanted responsibilities. Putting your rooms, closets, cabinets or drawers in order also means getting rid of the chaos that has surrounded you so far from your life. By devoting less attention and time to cleaning and arranging items that mean so much to you, you gain more energy to deal with the really important things.
Remember, however, that the slow life philosophy is a guideline rather than a universal prescription for changing your life. Practical principles can be helpful, but the real change has to happen in your perception of the world and reality. So get your priorities in order and think about why you so need a change. Also, not all problems can be solved by slow life. If you are struggling with such troubles as lowered mood, stress, recurring anxiety or insomnia problems, which are caused, for example, by living too fast, it is worthwhile for you to seek help from a specialist – online psychotherapy. Do not hesitate to ask for help from professionals such as a psychologist or therapist. After all, not every situation can be solved by changing the way you think. A visit to the office of a therapist or psychiatrist can provide you with many tools to fight recurring problems affecting your mental health or well-being.
Slow life, then, is a philosophy of slow, mindful living. It is gaining popularity in the face of ever-increasing pressures from the world around us, and at a time when life is taking on an almost lethal pace. Everyone can implement slow life in their lives on their own terms, tailored to their needs. Its essence is to slow down, carefully experiencing each moment and enjoying them while the world rushes forward. It’s a method that allows you to find balance and identify your true goals and priorities that really matter to you. It will help you get to know yourself better, find a sense of purpose more easily, regenerate your strength, strengthen your ties with loved ones and rid your life of trivial and unimportant things and matters that have so far occupied your precious time and taken your attention.
If you want to stop on your values, needs and give them a new direction, make an appointment for online coaching.