How do you Do "Slow living?"

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Quora Question:  ​How do you do “slow living”?

Slow living will look different depending on what your focus is and how you integrate it into your life. The beauty of slow living is the variation. Here are some possible ways to bring more slowness into your life:

Reduce your schedule: If you can try reducing your schedule. Are you or your family involved in a lot of different activities, classes, meetings, etc? Are there some of these you can drop in the name of slowing down?

Be more mindful: Mindfulness has become a very popular word and pursuit but it can definitely help with slowing down. Whatever you’re doing, whether it’s washing dishes, cooking food, eating, taking a walk, just do that. Don’t multi-task. Focus on the activity itself and really take in the details of your experience. Notice your surroundings and your actions as you engage in them.

Turn off the tech: Another good way to bring slowness into your life is to reduce your use of tech. Don’t always be checking email, scrolling social media posts, watching television, etc.

Read a book: Reading is a great way to bring slowness into your day. Set aside a specific time, perhaps before bed or in the morning, to do some reading. Here are some good slowness suggestions:
​
Carl Honore In Praise of Slowness
Christopher De Pree Astronomical Mindfulness
Brooke McAlary Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World
Rachel Jonat The Joy of Doing Nothing

Each of these will give you more ideas about bringing slowness into your life in a way that feels right for you.