Fundamental Principles of Slow Living
As you already know from reading this blog, I am incredibly passionate about the benefits of slow living. I would love to inhabit a world where everyone took the time to engage more fully with ‘what matters.’ I’m sure you would, too. If we all need to be the change we seek, I suppose it follows that we start with ourselves. Here are a few principles that are fundamental to slow living.
When you engage with something important or valuable, drop everything else
We are a culture and epoch of multitaskers; the trouble is, we often forget how to “uni-task” when it’s important. When you are playing with your kids, turn off your phone and just climb into their world of Lego, dolls, and epic adventures. When you are writing an essay, tell your partner that you won’t be speaking for the next hour so you can fully engage with the content. When you go for a walk, breathe the fresh air and observe nature pulsing around you. Don’t answer your phone when you are hiking to the top of a mountain! That kind of thing…
Put major limits on time wasters
Let’s face it – there are thousands of people on this planet who have the bad habit of wasting your time. I went through a phase in which I had four clients who all asked endless questions (for months!) then never ended up working with me. After that, I learned to recognize the signs that things were going nowhere and to engage with those clients quite a lot less, if at all. I have had to interact less over time with friends who speak endlessly about themselves with no concept for the value of my time – and that was hard, but very good for me. It would be for you, too.
Wake early for a dose of quiet time
It can be challenging to stay grounded and still inside when you are being pulled in every direction from the time you wake. Try to set your alarm to wake 30 minutes early so you can brew a cup of tea and listen as the world slowly wakes up. Or do a brief yoga / meditation practice. That way, when the world starts ticking at the speed of sound, you are moving from a place of stillness inside.
Learn how to cook beautiful meals
Fast living and fast food go hand in hand, and both are truly yucky for the body and soul. Cooking isn’t for everyone, but the modern world has opened up so many options for aspiring chefs, this excuse doesn’t really work anymore. The real problem is that we don’t make time for it. And why not? We don’t enjoy feeling healthy, vibrant, and alive? That can’t be true. Take a cooking lesson. Buy the Jamie Oliver ‘5 Ingredient Cookbook.’ Sign up for a service that delivers prepped fresh food and recipes to your door. Enjoy spending most nights listening to your favorite tunes, talking to your partner, and creating a warm cosy space to just enjoy your delicious cooking together.
Turn off the TV
We don’t own a television – and I’m not a crazy hippie. I just happen to cherish my off time so much that I don’t want to give it away to senseless banter from random people on a screen. That having been said, when the going is tough I give my kids 30 minutes with educational cartoons on their tablet and sometimes my husband and I will cuddle up once a week for a really thought provoking movie. But we don’t relax with the TV because it’s just not relaxing. We do yoga, go for long walks, do a birding adventure, go swim in the ocean, or play games with our kids. A lot more fun than television, don’t you think?
Take the time to greet people
I used to be this person: gaping at my phone, tapping madly while the grocer scanned my weekly shop. When I looked up, barely acknowledging her, I just saw this really sad face. An unacknowledged face. Then it landed for me; I hadn’t even said “hello,” and that’s a really shocking way to live. Everyone has a role in making our worlds turn and they deserve to be recognized for the part they play. Do it for others, and you will do it for yourself as well.
Keep your phone calls brief
Yes, I know you want to chat, but in order to deeply focus on what’s right in front of you, prep the person calling by saying, “I’m in the middle of something, but I have 3 minutes. What’s up?” This sets the stage for people to get to the point instead of rattling on (see point #2). And during times when you feel the desire to have a longer chat, why not carve out the time to meet personally? Then you are again engaging with what’s right in front of you.
Become a minimalist
I recently threw out every single item of clothing I own and started fresh with a ‘capsule wardrobe’ based on a specific color palette. I felt extremely liberated without so much stuff falling out of the closets. This is also great for travel. With your food, don’t shop for more than you need (this just creates cleaning work when everything becomes a science experiment). As for your social life, see only the people who really fill you up. Remove clutter from your office. Subscribe only to the websites / blogs / newsletters that you really engage with. And enjoy your small world of curated happiness….
Let’s do an experiment. How about trying one of the above, every week for two months. And let me know how it goes?