I used to always show off my busyness like it was some big achievement. Deadlines at school, social commitments, my own personal projects — it all equated to being “productive.” Yet still, burning out and creating an horrid amount of flat-out nothing whatsoever for a whole complete weekend, came the wake-up call: I wasn’t living any more, only surviving.
This changed me, and I began embracing slow living principles. This is where I found slow living, the way of living life with mindfulness, intention, and appreciation for the small things in life. And I believe we could all use a little more of it in our fast-paced and constantly connected world.
Slow living is not doing less out of laziness; it’s doing what matters most. It’s taking back our time and attention from the relentless hurry of contemporary life.
In a 2022 Gallup poll, 41% of Americans reported they were stressed out on a daily basis, topped by work, money, and social pressure. We are overwhelmed with notifications, messages, and tasks with no room to breathe or think. Long-term stress isn’t merely draining, it’s deadly. Chronic stress could bring about severe illness like heart disease, anxiety, and depression, according to the American Psychological Association.
Slow living or slowing down is one of the reactions. Emphasizing quality over quantity gives life depth. Consider food, for example. We do not ideally rush through every single meal. We relish every mouthful, savoring taste and effort into preparing it. Instead of trying to always multitask, we can focus on one thing at a time. Researchers at UC Irvine discovered that multitasking lowers productivity significantly, but mindfulness training enhances concentration, reduces stress, and enhances overall well-being.
However, some critics do consider slow living to be a luxury. This isn’t wrong since not everybody can cut working hours or work extra holiday hours. However, slow living is not an indulgence, per se; it’s about small, conscious adjustments. Examples of small adjustments include putting your phone on the other side of the table during dinner, going for a walk without something playing in your ear, or dedicating 10 minutes of your day to sitting down and writing in a journal rather than just scrolling mindlessly through social media. Those small doses of mindfulness can be worked into the busiest of schedules.
I’ve done it myself. I reduced my activities significantly this year, and I learned to say no to commitments that were not on my top list. I prepared more meals at home, enjoying the process as much as the product. And I spent more time outside, whether a Friday afternoon walk or simply sitting in my own back yard with a cup of tea. These shifts not only reduced my anxiety — they increased my sense of liveliness.
Slow living is not just good for human beings, but for the world as well. This high-speed, consumeristic life that we are all living today is not always sustainable. The world that we live in today, as proposed by the Global Footprint Network, needs 1.75 Earths to meet our consumption. If we adopt slow living, then we can change the world and create a better, cleaner world.
In a society that idolizes hustle and is constantly busy, slow living is subversive. It’s a call to remember that life is more about what we’re experiencing and feeling than we often give it credit for. So next time you’re gasping on the pace of contemporary life, slow down. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is nothing.
