Do you sometimes ever feel like you are sprinting through life at a breakneck speed, barely catching a moment to breathe?

If you are not ticking off to dos, or rushing from one task to the other, you are probably checking emails or trying to beat deadlines for projects and assignments. And once you are done with the day’s tasks (sometimes not even completing them) you are already thinking about your tasks for the next day.  

It feels like there’s always something to do and you never have a day that’s slow and chilled. Unfortunately, this is the reality of many people who are grappling with adulting, especially when it comes to balancing careers, parenting, and relationships.

For a huge percentage, life feels as if we are on a relentless treadmill trying to keep up with its increasing speed. And as the Gen Zs would say, this kind of life is neither giving nor life-ing.

But what if you could slow down? Just take a step back, not for a moment but embrace a slow life with no frantic rush, no flying out of bed and dashing out the door with your mind already spinning and your presence annoyingly all over the place?

Welcome to slow loving, a lifestyle trend that is gaining traction this year with more people becoming overly intentional about how they spend their time.

They are focusing more on quality time over quantity whether at work, in relationships, businesses, social life, and even their personal routines. All because they are prioritizing their well-being, mindfulness, and want to live purposefully.

Slow living is not just about doing nothing or being lazy. No. It’s about doing less but with intention and purpose. It is a movement where people are choosing to live a more balanced and meaningful life by slowing things down and completing enriching tasks at a leisurely pace while making small but steady improvements in your life. Here’s how you can embrace a slow pace of life.

1. Start your day mindfully

The way you start your day really matters. Starting your day mindfully simply means setting intentions for the day, a powerful tool for setting the tone and mood for your day. A mindful morning could begin with a conscious decision to set intentions that will guide your day.

Take a moment and think about what you want to accomplish for the day, how you want to show up, and then lay the ground for how you will achieve it. It could be anything from adopting a positive mindset, incorporating meditation practices into your mornings, or just any positive thing that provides you with a sense of calm, emotional balance, and mental clarity.

2. Articulate your why

Before you embrace this kind of lifestyle, ask yourself, why do you want to slow down? Is it for your mental health and overall wellbeing, is it for change, or are you just following trends. Once you pinpoint a reason why you want a slow life, you will find purpose and be able to embrace it gracefully with no regrets.

3. Prioritise the most important tasks

When you are in a rat race to complete many tasks, everything may seem important. As such you may find yourself trying to complete all these tasks even those that don’t really require your attention at the moment. A false sense of urgency experienced in such situations.

Before you start the day, list down a few tasks that are indeed crucial and urgent and eliminate those that may seem unnecessary.  This way you are able to spend your time on doing something meaningful even if it’s less, than spending a lot of time on little nothings.

4. Don’t rush

Jay Shetty once said, “If we don›t choose to intentionally and consciously slow down and stop being in a rush, your body and mind will force you to do it anyway.”

When your body slows you down, you could be knocking on a hospital’s door trying to find a cure so why rush when you can take one step at a time? Rushing adds stress and anxiety to your life, and overtime, it can affect your mental health.

Be intentional about protecting the pace with which your life goes and avoid living your life in a state of resistance.

5. Touch grass

Nature is slow living at its best. Spending your time outdoors is a great way to connect with nature as it allows you to disconnect from technology and engage with the physical world.

However, enjoying the outdoors shouldn’t be just moving from one point to the next, it should be about using all your senses and paying attention to your surroundings. Pay attention to the chirping birds, trees swaying, butterflies flying around, and sit under a tree or on the grass to enjoy what nature has to offer.

6. Avoid technology overload

Regardless of your nature of work, a digital detox is necessary especially in today›s world where technology has become an integral part of our lives.

Avoid excessive screen time, which often takes a toll on mental health and emotional wellbeing, often leading to burnout, stress, and anxiety.

Make a conscious effort to limit screen time by avoiding using your phone, especially in the morning hours when you wake up and at night when you are in bed. And it’s not just your phone; also avoid TV, computers, and gaming devices. Staying offline is slow living.

7. Engage in slow daily routines

Often, many people mindlessly do daily routines just for the sake of it, and sometimes in a rush. Tasks like bathing, brushing our teeth, cooking, cleaning, and some house chores often go unnoticed.

However, it is essential to be fully present and immerse yourself in these tasks. When you›re showering, pay attention to the smaller details like the smell of your shower shell, the sensations you feel when cold or warm water touches your body, and wander in your own thoughts as you enjoy the water soothing your body. It is the smaller details that slow down your rhythm and help you to notice and be present in every moment.

8. Embrace minimalism

A cluttered space equals a cluttered mind. Slow living is all about simplicity – the lesser the better. A minimalist approach in your space and environment allows you to let go of what you no longer need and focus on quality over quantity. More notably, adopting a minimalist lifestyle can significantly benefit mental health by reducing stress and anxiety.

9. Create time for hobbies

Despite the hustle and bustle of daily life, don’t forget to do what you love most. Every day, strive to do what you enjoy most and allow you to express yourself. Incorporate hobbies into your daily routines and immerse yourself into the creative process.

10. Learn the art of JOMO

Unlike the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), JOMO is the Joy of Missing Out. You really don’t have to be everywhere attending events, embracing every trend, and showing up for people all the time. Such commitments can be mentally draining, so, disappear for a while and find joy in it.

JOMO allows you to focus on what truly matters, also giving you the freedom to say no when you don’t feel like committing to something.