The Benefits of Living A Slow Life

In a society where life is so fast paced & thrives on being busy, the idea of slowing down seems counterproductive. When in reality, living a more slow life has many benefits that help create a happier one.

What Is Slow Living?

Slow Living is the idea of slowing down on daily tasks which in turn, would add less stress to a person’s day. The concept originated in Italy with the ideas of slow food & savoring each bite instead of the typical fast food chains in America. Instead of rushing each task, there’s an art in taking your time. Slow Living stands for:

🌿 Sustainability

🌿 Local

🌿 Organic

🌿 Whole

Living Slow Benefits The Mind and Soul

Society shames us when we aren’t busy or stressed. It’s like people find joy in other’s misery. There’s been this unspoken rule of keeping up & placing expectations on ourselves based on the notion of other’s judgments. It’s almost like if we don’t have a full schedule or feel overwhelmed in life, we are doing something wrong.

Misconceptions

Slow living does not mean setting the bar low for yourself or being lazy. That’s not the point at all. It’s the idea of giving yourself permission to feel comfortable in the art of doing nothing essentially. But you’re really not doing nothing. Life is a balance & you have to discover this concept before you burn out. By prioritizing your routine, you are actually becoming more successful. It seems like a nonconformity in the grand scheme of it all. But the beauty of slow living is not bowing down to societal pressures. Be ok with saying no occasionally. Take back control of your life.

Here are some benefits to The Slow Living Movement:

We Become Mindful of Our Intentions

For once, we as individuals can decide our fate for ourselves. We don’t want others running the show of our lives. It’s not their life to live. In a lot of ways, slow living and intentional living go hand in hand. When we take a breather & appreciate our surroundings, we can finally gain that precious time back for ourselves. There’s so many moments where time seems to slip away from us. It’s better to fully acknowledge it.

We Gain Patience

It’s tough to have patience when you are striving to reach certain goals or expectations. But it’s so true when people say some things are worth waiting for. It’s human nature to want things right away. Slow living teaches us to detract from that belief & train our minds to wait. And it’s not easy especially because our body’s neurotransmitters are wired to this fight or flight mentality. We tend to air on the side of eagerness. Slow living teaches us to remove such stimuli & simply wait to react.

Instead of responding quickly to that text or clicking buy on Amazon, stop & take a moment for yourself. You don’t always need to give others that satisfaction of responding right away. Give yourself time to reflect on a response.

We Become Content

When you let go of the expectations of consumerism, you actually gain an appreciation of your life. You strive for quality over quantity. You are no longer influenced by trends & social media. You become content with what you already own. And that’s a beautiful thing.

Minimalism teaches us this exact concept of appreciating less & to be open to more possibilities. When you are living intentionally, you are more fulfilled as a person.

We Become Grateful

Instead of always trying to fill our voids with material items, we find joy within the simple. We no longer feel dissatisfied by our life choices. We develop a sense of gratitude that carries with us through all the peaks & valleys of life.

Whether that’s walking in nature or really engaging in a conversation, we gain an appreciation for things we might have neglected in the past.

We Accept The Journey

Life is filled with hard & easy times. By living slowly we can handle each obstacle with grace. We realize each moment isn’t going to last forever. So it’s important to be ok with change. We can easily adapt when we aren’t just going through the motions & properly process every emotion & thought in a healthier way.

We Tap Into Our Own Feelings

Along with this, we learn the art of slowing down with all tasks. There’s a thing called adrenal fatigue & neurostressors. Our bodies feel normal but really we are constantly on overdrive. Maybe you need to re-evaluate how you do certain tasks. Maybe you need to eat slower or wake up slower in the morning. Adjust the pace at a level that suits you. Don’t listen to how others pace themselves. That may not work for you. Quit creating these expectations based on what people think you should do. They aren’t you. So what if someone wants you to wake up earlier? Sometimes it goes beyond good advice. Sometimes it’s merely a judgment. We need to listen to our intuition more often.

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I hope you learned a bit more on this lifestyle. Send me your questions. I would love to elaborate. Is living slow something you would like to do in your life? Let me know in the comments. 💕