A few years ago I didn’t know the first thing about slow living. My life was anything but slow. I was so focused on getting the most out of every single day and I was determined to achieve as much as possible. I wanted to see the most, work the most, eat the most, drink the most, have the most, BE the most! I couldn’t go for a casual stroll – I had to stride it out, power walking everywhere, because there was not a moment to lose.
I’m exhausted just thinking about it! These days my life is a little different and I take great joy in slowing on down. I love nothing more than to sit on the balcony and watch the sun set with a cup of tea. Or go for a walk with our puppy and just enjoy the walk and be in the moment, rather than stressing out that there is something more important that I should be doing.
But I’m certainly not the first person to realize the incredible benefits of slowing down and enjoying each moment.
In fact, the slow movement is on the rise all over the world. According to Carl Hanore, author of In Praise of Slow, “It is a cultural revolution against the notion that faster is always better. The Slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace. It’s about seeking to do everything at the right speed. Savoring the hours and minutes rather than just counting them. Doing everything as well as possible, instead of as fast as possible. It’s about quality over quantity in everything from work to food to parenting.”
According to the International Institute of Not Doing Much (yes this is totally real), infectious multitasking is on the increase. They suggest that if you are trying to floss your teeth while eating breakfast, then you probably need to join them.
Here are some of their tips for slowing down:
- Drink a cup of tea, put your feet up and stare idly out of the window. Warning: Do not attempt this while driving.
- Do not be pushed into answering questions. A response is not the same as an answer. Ponder, take your time.
- Spend more time in bed. You have a better chance of cultivating your dreams (not your aspirations).
- Practice doing nothing.
- Avoid too much seriousness. Laugh, because you’re only alive on the planet Earth for a limited time.
And here are some of my own:
- Take the time to enjoy at least one meal a day, savoring each mouthful without other distractions such as watching the TV at the same time.
- Take notice of your day and how much time you spend trying to multi-task. If you are anything like me, then you probably start a whole bunch of things and don’t complete them properly! This is definitely something I’m working on.
- Write a to-do list and stick to it! Remember, it’s about quality, not quantity. When you focus on 1 thing at a time, you’ll find that you may actually tick things off your list quicker.
- Indulge in a long bath.
- Find some time for you each day, even if it’s just 10 minutes, to sit and meditate, reflect on the day or practice yoga.
As I was writing this article (which was published over at Modern Hippie Mag earlier in the week – thanks MHM!), a song by India Arie kept playing over and over in my head. Here are some of the lyrics:
“Slow down, baby you’re moving too fast.
You got your hands in the air with your feet on the gas.
You’re about to wreck your futures running from your past.
You need to slow down before you go down baby.
Sometimes you gotta be still, before you can get ahead.
Be still, ask the universe for help be real.
You can’t do it all by yourself…”
I hope you get to enjoy slowing down a little as 2011 starts to wind up.
Amanda x
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