The Slow Movement: The Quest to the Discovery of Being Together in the Age of Acceleration
Slow living in a hurry-up world is either a luxury — or a revolutionary clarion call. Every second is yelling at us to hustle, to pack more into a moment, and never, ever, ever slow down. But what if being happy is actually not more doing, but less — on purpose?
Slow living is slow and unfast. It’s the revolution of quality rather than quantity, presence rather than tension, and depth rather than emptiness of momentum. It’s an attitude through which we can live slowly, re-calibrate, and become conscious of life to its depths.
The following is an outlook of what slow living is, why we need slow living, and how you can live slow living.
What is Slow Living
Slow living is really an attitude — a sense to live in the moment and be present, not whizzing through life on autopilot. It’s space to breathe, to relax, and to be. It’s not still, but more slowly lived, and richly so.
- It may involve:
- Saying no to the unessentials
- Conventional day-to-day living with less
- More time spent outdoors
- Cooking whole food from scratch
- No screen distraction
Acquiring real relationships, not Facebook “likes”
Slow down and see what is really most precious to us?
We’re so engaged with velocity — velocity food, velocity fashion, instant messaging, flash fame. And presto, in the bargain, we quite literally wind up at burnout, stress, loneliness, and drained.
We work twelve-hour days, read late-night email, and give up every waking moment. And then so many of us get starved.
Slow living is the answer. Slow living reminds us life ain’t no race, and peace ain’t won by arriving — but by being.
The Benefits of Slow Living
1. Better Mental Health
Slow downs tension and stress. If we never hurry, then our nervous system is calm and we’re emotionally strong.
2. Richer Relationships
More people time means more richer, more meaningful relationships.
3. Wiser Decisions
Slow down, and we make good choices, and we set priorities so that we really need.
4. Creativity
Room to let our mind roam and think on — the birthplace of creative mind and thinking.
5. Physically Healthier Body
There is less stress through lower blood pressure, better sleeping, and increased immunity.
Slow down to eat simply provides room for proper digestion and more mindful eating by us.
Slowness in Everyday Life
You don’t have to boat out to a backwoods cabin or quit your job to live slow. Sea changes consist of infinitesimal increments.
1. Begin Your Day Slowly
Don’t grab the phone the moment you open your eyes. Breathe, stretch, breathe slowly a few times, write. A calm morning does what a calm night can’t.
2. Be Where You Are
Where you are — at the table, on the phone, or the circuits around the block — be there. Multitasking is theory, but it’s piecework attention and surface-level experience.
3. Get Your Schedule Under Control
Don’t overbook on low-priority, yucky stuff. Leave some space in your schedule for being. Rest time is not waste time — it’s recharging and clarity time.
4. Unplug Electronically
Switch off computer monitors. Allocate some time to surf through email or social websites and then utilize the remaining time in the real world.
5. Take Back Nature
Nature will eat us up someday. Take a street walk, walk to the garden, or just sit under a tree and dirty your feet.
6. Do One Thing at a Time
Single-tasking makes concentration and happiness. Cook, cook. Read, read. Do everything and do it step by step.
7. Practice Gratitude
Tonight at sundown, sit and reflect on three things you are grateful for. Gratitude keeps our minds in the now, aware of what we have, not what we don’t have.
Slow Living is a Journey, Not a Destination
Slow living isn’t “perfect” — i.e., never the assurance that everything will be okay — but it’s conscious decision in those things that actually matter. There’ll be nuts-and-bolts days, and that’s okay. The issue isn’t not doing life stuff but doing life stuff on purpose and on design.
Recollection. Inactivity. It is. It ain’t less work on the job. There are times when doing nothing is prudent: nothing to avoid from halting, breathing one’s air, and just being.
Conclusion
Slowing down in a world where everybody is just so busy is a revolutionary act against oneself. It’s a taking back of taking back your peace, time, and energy. Slow living isn’t going to save the world in one day — it’s being more mindful, having more space, and being more intentional in life.”.
And then breathe deep, let waiting pass, and take in the loveliness before your eyes. Because at times slow is the shortest distance to a richer, happier existence.