Real-Life Slow Living
10 Tips You Can Actually Use
This voiceover is an audio version of my Slow Sunday Letter below. It is unedited, so may have some stutters, imperfections, and background noise. I hope you enjoy listening to it anyway!
Welcome to Generosity of Spirit, a gentle community for YOU. We find pockets of time for slow & gentle living, books, writing, journaling & life affirming work. You are so welcome here in our cosy space, grab a cuppa & stay a while... 🐢🙏📚☕💌
Welcome back to another Slow Sunday Letter! I hope you have had a slow and gentle week.
"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why." - Eddie Cantor
In this week’s Slow Sunday Letter, I want to provide some realistic tips for absolutely everyone! I do wholeheartedly believe that slow living is for everyone, no matter what your life looks like. You don’t need to live in the countryside, grow all your own food - you don’t need a ‘perfect, dream set up’ - you can slow down your life right now, as you are. A slower and more gentle life is waiting for you, and in today’s letter I want to share ten of my ‘go to’ tips that everyone can try!
So - grab a cuppa, get cosy and let’s jump in together!
10 Realistic Slow Living Tips for EVERYONE!
“The great benefit of slowing down is reclaiming the time and tranquility to make meaningful connections—with people, with culture, with work, with nature, with our own bodies and minds.”
— Carl Honoré, In Praise of Slowness
I have created ten slow living tips that I believe you can start applying today in your life, even if you’re short on time or live in a fast-paced city. Let’s see which tips appeal the most to you …
1. MINIMISE
Minimise and declutter! I cannot tell you what a big difference this will have, and how much it can help slow down your life. The best thing about this tip, is you can start as small as you like, and it will still make a big difference! A messy drawer, your wardrobe, your pots and pans, your books. It needn’t even take that much time, and you can certainly adopt the ‘little and often’ approach.
Spending some time removing unimportant clutter from your home or workspace reduces the number of visual distractions that compete for your attention. With fewer things pulling your focus, you create a calmer, simpler environment. The process of removing the things that weigh you down will help you create more time and space to fully engage with what you do have, and what truly matters to you.
2. CREATE
One of the best ways to embrace slow living is to tap into your creative side. I know you may skip over this tip if you do not see yourself as a creative person. But hear me out… I think you are creative. I think we all are!
Creativity comes in all different forms… you could be an amazing painter, but you could also enjoy cooking or baking, foraging in nature, taking photos, or have a love of fashion. You could enjoy creating a colourful and vibrant garden, love to sing or even simply colouring in your favourite colouring book. The process of creation is its own reward, and it is a reminder that even the simplest things can bring great joy.
3. EMBRACE A SLOW START
Starting your day off slowly has great power and influence and it is something I have only recently embraced myself. I was spurred on by morning pages (following advice from The Artist Way by Julia Cameron). I wake up earlier now, to make myself a cup of tea or matcha, and write my morning pages. I only adjusted my schedule by thirty minutes, but it has made such a massive difference. Not only in the actual time I have available to get ready in the morning, but my overall wellbeing and state of mind, which influences my entire day.
Everything changes when you give yourself enough morning time. You can enjoy every sip of coffee or tea, savour your breakfast, and even sneak in some writing, exercise or meditation. If you want a calmer start to the day, begin by creating your own slow morning routine.
Read more here A Slow Morning Routine
4. SINGLE-TASKING
Multi-tasking is largely championed in this busy, fast-paced world. You may even pride yourself on your ability to multitask, I have often cited it as being one of my strengths. But the truth is that multitasking is counterproductive.
When you try to do too many things at once, your attention becomes scattered… I think it falls into the category of , ‘just because you can, doesn’t mean you should’. You may be able to juggle multiple things at once, but it does take its toll. Single tasking allows you to fully focus all your attention on one task. You may find yourself more productive, the task more satisfying and able to achieve ‘flow state’ more easily. It is like tapping into your full potential, rather than spreading it so thinly.
It may seem like a small change, but it can make a big difference in the quality of your work and the depth of your relationships. Next time you are feeling overwhelmed by all the things on your to-do list or feeling under pressure from multiple sources … try slowing down and taking on one task at a time. You might be surprised by how much more effective you are.
5. GET OUTSIDE
Getting outside is so important and literally available to all of us. Regular outdoor activity has been shown to have numerous health benefits. Getting outside and going for brisk walks can boost mood, increase energy levels, strengthen your cardiovascular system, and promote better sleep.
By taking the time to get some fresh air, soak in some natural light, connect with nature we can deepen relationships with ourselves, others, and the natural world. I also love noticing the changes of the seasons and watching my surroundings change throughout the year. By simply getting outside, even for just fifteen minutes each day you enjoy all physical and mental rewards that come from slowing down, appreciating simplicity, and living mindfully in tune with our surroundings.
6. LEARN ABOUT YOUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
You may not have considered this, but going outside in the morning and exposing yourself to natural light actually helps you sleep better in the evening. It does this by helping you set your body’s daily circadian rhythm.
What are circadian rhythms?
“Your circadian rhythm is your sleep-wake pattern over the course of a 24-hour day. It helps control your daily schedule for sleep and wakefulness. Most living things have one. Circadian rhythm is influenced by light and dark, as well as other factors. Your brain receives signals based on your environment and activates certain hormones, alters your body temperature, and regulates your metabolism to keep you alert or draw you to sleep.” Healthline
Having a healthy and consistent circadian rhythm can really help you slow down and maintain an inner sense of calm. If you experience a disruption to your circadian rhythm and struggle to get the proper amount of sleep, you may experience stress, tiredness, disconnect and distraction.
7. EMBRACE THE SOUND OF SILENCE
I don’t think many of us embrace silence very often, if at all. We have so many distractions and are essentially exposed to constant noise in the world, but there is so much value, and beauty in taking the time to slow down and cultivate stillness.
Embracing silence can be as simple as walking without headphones in, allowing silence in your house with no TV or music, or laying in bed for a little longer in the morning listening to the sounds around you. By disconnecting from the constant noise, we can reconnect with ourselves and experience the world around us in a whole new way.
8. MEDITATE
Meditation maybe an intimidating practice for many, but meditating is easier to embrace than you think. Just a few minutes can have such an impact on your overall wellbeing, and channel some calm and peace into your day.
Some people can meditate for hours but you don’t have to. There is so much value in spending a minute or two deep breathing throughout the day, and it can have powerful calming and grounding effects. Allowing for small moments of meditation throughout your day can help quiet your mind, encourage you to slow down and appreciate life’s simple pleasures, and feel more prepared to take on whatever comes your way. In the next week, seek out moments in which you can pause, recharge, and reconnect with yourself.
9. SAY NO
Learning to say no and setting healthy boundaries is essential for anyone who wants to live a more quiet, intentional life. However, this is not easy, and honestly will take time to master. Setting clear limits on your time allows you to focus more attention on your priorities and passions.
Another important reason saying no is so crucial for slow living is that it helps protect valuable time for what truly matters. By taking control of our time and setting clear boundaries, we can prioritise ourselves, our families, and our passions.
10. FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE
Finding your happy place – a place where you can be completely yourself, at peace, comfortable and inspired is vital. This could be your home, a favourite city, coffee shop, a local park, the cinema, the library, the theatre, a museum – anywhere that makes you feel like you.
Ensuring you have regular time in a place you can truly be yourself is so valuable, providing real respite from the endless demands of life. A significant element of embracing slow living is also learning more about, and embracing your authentic self, and putting in place supports and opportunities for you to comfortably explore yourself.
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Welcome to Generosity of Spirit, a gentle community for YOU. We find pockets of time for slow & gentle living, books, writing, journaling & life affirming work. You are so welcome here in our cosy space, grab a cuppa & stay a while... 🐢🙏📚☕💌
This is your invitation to Slow Down …
I really hope you have enjoyed this week’s Slow Sunday Letter. I really want to share how life changing adopting slow and gentle living can be, and I do believe that slow living is for everyone. Although slow living may seem impossible with a busy life, full schedule and little time to spare, it is not as difficult as it seems. All it takes is a bit of creativity and some simple adjustments to your routine. You might be surprised at how good it feels to slow down and savour every moment.
I would really love to know your thoughts, and what tip you may try yourself, or if you have any tips to share with everyone … if you feel able, please do share in the comments.
Thank you for being here,
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I have saved this to refer back to because there are many of these that I am not good at. Multitasking and being aware of my circadian rhythms chief among them. Thank you for this wonderful aide memoire. X
Good advice as always, Em