How To Practice Slow Living || Ways To Live Slowly

If you’re here reading this post, there’s a good chance that you are, at the very least, interested in a slow living lifestyle. Maybe you’re just looking into exactly what it means to practice this lifestyle.

Maybe you have started bringing some elements of it into your daily routine already. Or it could even be that you’ve been putting quite a bit of effort into slowing down your life at this point.

And you want to take it even further than you’ve already come. I get it … Because I’ve been where you are. And while I practice slow living on a pretty wide scale in my own life, I still have a long way to go before I reach a place that I feel satisfied with overall.

My journey this far has made me fully confident that practicing a slow living lifestyle results in both better physical health and better mental health. And, in whatever way I’m able to, I want to spread that around.

So today, I’m going to share the best ways that I’ve found to incorporate the practices of this lifestyle in my daily activities with you. These are the first things that I began to focus on when I embarked on the journey of transforming my life to embrace slow living.

I share them hoping that they will aid you in your own slow living journey. Your journey will not look exactly like mine. That goes without saying, right?!?!

But perhaps there will be some parallels between the two, or you will be inspired by my journey in some other way, that fuels you and pushes you further along on your own.

Intentionally Maintain A Slower Pace

I know that the idea that we have control over life’s pace can seem a little absurd at times. There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in a single day to accomplish all of the things that need to be done. 

Never mind finding free time to spend relaxing, engaging in a hobby, or just kicking back and enjoying the people we love. Work-life balance is a term that is tossed around in today’s world pretty freely.

But just how do we manage to achieve that state in our daily lives? We have to make a conscious choice to change our way of life. And it doesn’t have to be some grand gesture to start.

It can be done slowly over time. If it is approached this way, it will happen without us even noticing. It really will. One of the easiest ways to intentionally start to slow a fast-paced life is to develop greater appreciation for the simplest elements of it.

As that appreciation grows, the desire to slow down and enjoy those elements will increase. And given enough time you will find that all of the aspects of everyday life are full of pleasure.

You will begin to immerse yourself in them in a different way. And it will become important to you to make time for them. This is not about living in slow motion. It is about rearranging your busy life in a way that allows more time for you to experience the simple pleasures it contains.

I remember the very first daily activity that I rearranged so that I could enjoy it more fully. And that was my morning coffee routine. I used to make a cup of coffee and take it on the run in the morning.

I drank it primarily to fuel me for the day. I barely tasted it at all. And I wanted to just sit down and enjoy a hot, steamy cup of coffee for a change. So, I took a few things from my morning routine and moved them to my evening routine.

By doing them at night before I went to bed, I was able to open up a bit of time in the morning to savor the moment and flavor of my cup of coffee. It was a simple change. But it started a whirlwind of change in my life.

All changes for the better.

Mindfully Eat Slow Food

Mindful eating and slow food somehow naturally go together. It is pretty hard to rapidly chow down a meal that has been prepared with loving hands, using sustainable, local, organic, whole ingredients.

The fact is, a meal like that is so darn good that you just want to enjoy the taste and texture of every single bite. The bad habits of modern society surrounding food can become such a part of the fabric of our daily lives that we forget how pleasurable actually enjoying truly good food can be.

We eat meals on a daily basis. They are one of the aspects of life that we cannot escape. They literally keep us alive. So, intentionally separating ourselves from the mindless consumption of unhealthy products, that much of the rest of the world partakes of every day, is just good practice.

When I began to realize that in order to truly embrace a slow living lifestyle I would need to make changes in my diet, I decided to mindfully eat my meals.

However, after spending the majority of my work life in the restaurant industry, where the only way you get to eat is to shove food into your mouth as quickly as possible as you pass by your plate on the counter, I wasn’t very good at doing this.

So, I made a deal with myself. I decided that I would only eat a meal if I had the time. If I could take the time to slow down and savor every bite, I would eat a full meal. Otherwise, I would just have a healthy snack to hold me over until I did have the time.

This led to some pretty late night meals. But I was okay with that, because they quickly became more than just a meal. They became an experience. An experience that I found very enjoyable. From preparing the meal to mindfully tasting every bite, it was a really good thing.

Soon after this practice had pretty much become old hat, I began to be even more diligent about comprising my meals of slow food.

I always had a propensity toward enjoying the process of making a great meal. I particularly like to share that experience with others. I’m an entertainer at heart.

And I had always been a huge fan of fresh, local food. So, the challenge for me wasn’t in knowing where to obtain this food or how to prepare it. The challenge for me was in eliminating all of the commercially produced crap and processed foods from my diet.

But, as with all of the slow living practices I’ve adopted over time, this is simply done one step at a time. Eggs for breakfast become farm fresh eggs for breakfast. And if there aren’t any farm fresh eggs in the house, then another choice is made for breakfast.

Sandwiches for lunch are made with local bread and farm fresh veggies. And pizza for movie night gets made in your own kitchen with the freshest ingredients available to you, instead of picked up at the local pizzeria.

Before you know it, you’ve made a couple of substantial changes in your life. And they feel so good you find yourself eager to keep going. You want all the changes.

Be A Conscious Consumer

Being a conscious consumer is something that you are probably already familiar with if you’re interested in the slow living lifestyle. Whether you’re practicing responsible consumerism or not, you likely know some of it’s basic tenets.

Slow living supports caring for the environment. And it’s easy enough to recycle, conscientiously use energy and water, and quite buying things that you don’t really need.

The idea that the fewer things you have the less you have to take care of isn’t lost on you, I’m sure. Just like the idea that shopping at thrift stores is a great way to contribute to curbing consumerism, and decreasing the waste that ultimately ends up in landfills, is a no-brainer.

But as you progress in living a life of mindful consumerism, you will likely find yourself becoming more and more cognizant of the scope of the negative impact that humans actually have on the planet.

And you’re desire to expand on your own contributions to the health of the planet will become stronger. You may find yourself looking at including practices of simple living (the old-fashioned ways) in your life as a means of lessening your own environmental impact.

The things you do on a daily basis are among the most important things that you can do to accomplish this. And the pace that they are typically performed at is more aligned with slow living.

Somehow, they bridge a gap between the modern fast paced lifestyle and a more relaxed way of living. They put the instant gratification monster firmly in it’s place.

These things include; using a clothesline instead of a dryer, washing dishes by hand, preserving your own food, and learning traditional skills. Any eco-friendly process fits the bill.

Any eco-friendly process that encourages you to slow down as you perform it, gets bonus points!

Make Time For The Most Important Things

At some level, we all design our daily routine. We decide what we say yes to and what we say no to as well. These decisions fill the hours of our days and set the pace for our life.

It’s true that there is only so much time in a day. And it’s also true that we all have some obligations that can’t be avoided. But in order to live a more intentional life we have to take a really good look at what we have in our lives that is less important than the things that we don’t have enough time for.

These things can be eliminated, and it will open up extra time to be spent on the people we love, the things we love, and ourselves as well.

Most of us spend a portion of our precious time doing things for other people when we really should be spending that time with our loved ones. There is, of course, a fine line to walk in this area.

Because we should foster relationships with the people around us. And it is an admirable thing to create good will with our fellow human beings.

However, in order to maintain meaningful relationships in our lives, we have to take the time needed to nurture them. So, it is necessary to say no to requests for the little time we have when we really should be investing that energy in our personal relationships.

It also helps to remember that giving our full attention to our friends and family when we are with them goes a long way. When we stay distracted by outside demands, while we’re spending time with them, it feels as though we haven’t spent any time with them at all.

Spending 2 hours with a loved one without distraction is better than spending 4 hours with them and not really being immersed in the experience. So the next time you’re with a loved one, save yourself 2 hours by shutting the rest of the world out and really being present.

These same principles apply to making time for the things you love and for yourself as well. They are simple ways to bring more joy and fulfillment into your daily life.

Intentionally choose where you are going to be, who you are going to be with, and what you are going to do. And then be fully present wherever you are.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is all about being in the present moment; living in the now.

The fact is, now is all we really have. The time that has passed is gone. It is impossible to get it back, and living with it in the forefront of our mind is not good for our mental health.

The future is yet to come. Yes, we can prepare for it on some levels, and we should. Having a plan for the future is good. However, life can be unpredictable and we must be able to flow with it when it tosses us a curveball.

And most often, what we are doing right now, in the present moment, is shaping our future in many ways. Being mindful in that moment can be of great overall benefit to us.

Practicing mindfulness in my own life has been one of the most effective tools in slowing down the pace of my days. No matter where I am, or what I’m doing, I always make maximal effort to keep my thoughts focused on the task at hand.

If I’m reading a good book, I immerse myself completely in the words on the page. When I’m cleaning a room, I zoom in on the scent of essential oils wafting up from the cleaning products. And I pay attention to how the room is transforming into a more inviting space.

When I’m working on pictures for a blog post, I don’t allow myself to get distracted by the mess that’s being created in the process. Instead, I give my full attention to the image that is emerging in front of me.

And when I go out to the woods to explore, I stop often and listen to the sounds and smell the scents surrounding me. Every once in a while I stop and just take a deep breath of fresh air. That simple act connects me to the space I’m in, and it feels good.

I’m not perfect at this practice. And you will not be perfect at it when you first start doing it either. As a matter of fact, it takes quite a bit of time to even be able to hold the mindset for a few minutes.

But, I promise that if you keep at it, you will find that it gets easier over time. And it is a great tool for managing stress; making it well worth the effort.

Simplify Where You Can

Another great tool for managing stress is simplifying your life in absolutely every way you can. This practice is one of the main tenets of the concept of slow living.

When you make all of the aspects of your daily life as simple as possible, you will spend less time preparing for life and more time living it. A popular belief has been fostered in modern society that more is better.

Many people are overly concerned with having and doing everything that others they know are all tied up in. But tied up is exactly what those others are. And that is no way to get the most out of life.

The next time you decide to go to the park to spend an afternoon, resist the temptation to pack everything you can possibly think of that you might need while you’re there. And just pack a simple bag with the absolute essentials.

I find that a beverage, a snack, a book, and some sunscreen get the job done. Even if you’re packing for a picnic, it’s not necessary to spread a smorgasboard of food out on the picnic table for lunch.

Maybe just a few sandwiches and some chips will do the trick. You get the idea, right?!?!

Simplify get togethers (yes, that includes holidays), simplify running errands (yes, that includes shopping), simplify cleaning the house (maybe eliminate unnecessary items cluttering the space), simplify laundry (if your wardrobe is not elaborate, your laundry day will not be either).

Simplify all of it. You’ll be glad you did. And this is one of the best ways to quickly reap the benefits of slow living. As you make this practice a habit you will find that you crave it’s rewards.

You will start to scurry down the rabbit hole of slowing the pace of your life to a pleasurable speed.

Connect With Nature

The concept that we are one with Nature is sometimes difficult for people to grasp. If you naturally gravitate toward time spent outdoors then, you are more likely to embrace this idea.

If the outdoors is not a place that you really desire to be, then it may be harder for you to wrap your head around it. But, regardless of where your headspace is on this subject, human beings are indeed intricately connected to Nature.

We are a species just like all of the other members of the plant and animal kingdom. And when we spend time really experiencing the outdoors, there is something primal that occurs in our brains.

I encourage you to give a connection to Nature a space to grow in your life. Take whatever step you feel comfortable with to foster it. If you are up for an afternoon hike, then grab a bottle of water and head on out to enjoy the day.

You will be in a better place mentally, physically, and spiritually when you return. If you are not feeling like you want to immerse yourself in the great outdoors just yet, then grab a snack and go sit on a bench at the local park and enjoy it.

Just allow yourself the opportunity to start to connect to the immediate space you are in. It may not be long before you want to expand that connection to the entire Universe.

And that is a good place to find yourself. Disconnect from social media. You may even want to leave your cell phone in the car. And allow yourself to be present in Nature.

Do this daily if you can. When I find that life has gotten too busy to fit in the kind of time that I once was able to with Nature, I step right outside my door and look at the stars for a few minutes.

Or I sit on the porch to experience the sensory elements of a thunderstorm. I’ve even pulled over on the side of the road, and allowed the sun to shine on my face, on a particularly nice day.

These are small simple things that go a long way toward nurturing my connection with Nature. And when It’s all I’ve got, I take advantage of it as much as I can.

This connection is a fundamental element in my slow living practice. It fuels me at a profound level. And I believe that, if given the chance, it will fuel you too.

Choose Quality Over Quantity

The final tip on how to practice slow living that I want to share with you in this post is to value quality over quantity. Remember when I said that 2 hours spent with a loved one while fully present is better than 4 hours spent with them while distracted?

That’s because the quality of the time spent with them is superior when you are present. This is the case in all situations where time is spent. And time is spent each and every second of the day.

It is here, and then it is gone; just like that. So, be intentional with how you spend it. Spend it on quality.

This principle applies to physical things in our lives as well. If you save to purchase a really good pair of shoes, they will serve you well and last you longer. These qualities will make you smile when you think of those shoes.

But if you buy a bunch of discount shoes at your local outlet just because they are such a ‘good deal’, you’ll never really get any pleasure or satisfaction from owning them. They will simply clutter up space.

Ultimately that great deal just becomes money wasted. This is not to say that you won’t ever come across something that is perfect for you and can be picked up at a bargain price as well.

That will happen. And when it does it’s a sweet surprise. But, be mindful of whether or not the things you bring into your life hold true to the level of quality you want your life to reflect.

And, if they don’t, then don’t allow yourself to be bogged down with them. Focus on the things that are going to support your slow living journey.

And keep in mind that practicing slow living is indeed a journey. It is not a race. If it were, that would be quite the oxymoron, wouldn’t it?!?!

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