Many of us long to slow down.
And many of us desperately need to.
But too many slow living tips involve ditching everything at once for a picture-perfect slow living lifestyle.
The harsh reality of struggling finances mean that slow living idyll isn't on offer for most families so it becomes another fantasy to fail at!!
Yet there are simple small ways to slow the crazily busy treadmill of our modern world and find more joy.
And these are the very doable slow living tips I have for you here.
They truly have brought real riches in health, happiness and resilience to my family. I do hope they help.
How To Start A Slow Living Lifestyle Simply
My slow living tips are NOT a strict set of rules we all must live by.
Most are tiny tweaks to strengthen our daily life whilst creating chances for us either to press pause for a period or to take the first steps on a longer journey in slower lanes.
There is no single place to start so explore first what speaks to you :
- Let Go
- Gentle Rhythms
- Proper Rest
- Unbusy
- Local Living
- Embracing Nature
- Being In The Moment
- Loving Low Info
- Celebrating Seasons
Weaving just a few of these slow living tips into the fabric of our day lets us feel for real that we don't have to hurtle hectically through our time here holding on for dear life!!
There are different slower ways to live and they can be very good.
Do bookmark or save on Pinterest to come back to for inspiration.
80 Slow Living Tips For A More Joyful Life
Let Go
Letting go little by little releases the chains of anxiety that lock us onto the treadmill of busy-busy ...
Declutter Your Life
- Ditch … don’t delegate.
- Very gently declutter just a few things every single day.
- Start living debt free so you stop having to run so fast to fund a lifestyle you can’t sustain.
- Stop buying things you never use.
Embrace The Familiar
- Stop reinventing the wheel for the sake of it when same old does fine.
- Allow yourself to enjoy the familiar without fear of missing out.
Detox Gently
For at least 6 weeks every year, detox from stimulants …
- Coffee
- Sugar
- Alcohol
- Screens …
Repeat this gentle detox for a fortnight twice a year, every year.
Rest Properly
Resting properly truly can transform our family's health. It is the foundation of a slow lifestyle ...
Sleep
- Cherish sleep …
- Learn to sleep better ...
- … and stop sabotaging it.
- Take care of your circadian rhythm, get up & outside in the light early.
Real Rest
- Have a day of rest weekly …
- … and when you just need one.
Re-energise Your Way
Put aside time to energise yourself in the right way for you every day …
- Introverts need time alone
- Extraverts need time to talk.
If you’re an introvert and get exhausted by other people, don’t try and live your life by the standards of extroverts, and vice versa.
Recovery Time
Give yourself time to recover from …
- Illness …
- Grief …
- Heartache.
We come back stronger if we convalesce properly and let ourselves retreat from the world for a time when we need to.
Unbusy
In today's world we worship the constant buzz of busy-busy as a symbol of both success and virtue but too many of our exhausted efforts are empty of real meaning :
Practise Saying No
- Stop making a virtue of having no time available for anyone.
- Write a not doing list, so you consciously acknowledge all the things whirring around in your head that you’re not going to do.
- Say NO politely but honestly and directly when you need to.
Time Block Responses
- Time block communication and only answer emails and messages in that time block.
Value Slack
- Build slack into every day.
- Stop over scheduling kids …
- … enjoy slower happier parenting.
- Learn to do more in less time and savour the time saved, don’t fill it.
- Keep plenty of weekends free.
- Clear your calendar … by half … and then by half again.
Travel Slowly
We don't always have to race from A to B in the quickest possible way ...
- Enjoy the huge health benefits of walking more daily.
- Give children the time they need to transition between places.
- Travel slowly by train and enjoy watching the world go by.
Learning to enjoy being un-busy breaks our addiction to the adrenalin of always being on the go.
Gentle Habits & Rhythms
Gentle habits & rhythms give us back some ownership of the structure of our lives so we're not always reacting to incoming demands :
Habits & Rhythms
- Build simple daily habits.
- Build weekly rhythms.
- Help children learn to contribute to family chores.
Love The Familiar
- Keep going back to the same place.
- Play old games or do old jigsaws with phones off.
- Re-read books.
- Re-watch old movies.
Practise Manual Skills
- Learn to done one thing better and better with your hands.
- Practise for 5 minutes a day.
- Enjoy being in the flow of doing something well.
Live Local
Living more of life locally cuts the wasted hours and constant pressure of long, tight travel time tables :
Love Local
- Give up your car when you really, really don't need it.
- Stroll, saunter, wander …
- … take time to stop and stare.
- Ride a bike.
- Holiday at home.
Walk Everywhere
- Walk every day wherever you can and use the downtime …
- … to talk
- … to connect with your community
- … to muse & ponder.
It roots us in the resilience of a strong community and makes travel more exciting when we do go.
Embrace Nature
By embracing nature in simple ways we can't help but slow down and feel how it keeps time without the constant call of clock and calendar:
Notice Nature
Notice nature …
- … see which way the wind is blowing every day …
- … look at the stars …
- … spot what the trees are doing.
Grow A Few Things
Grow a few things but don’t go crazy just start …
- … a few simple vegetables …
- … some basic herbs …
- … a pot of spring bulbs.
Be In The Moment
A slower lifestyle allows us to be in the moment and enjoy the richness of daily life free from the nagging anxiety of diaries and to do lists :
Notice Yourself
- Notice yourself in the full flow of feeling happy … what are you doing? … do more of it?
- Keep an eye on why you’re doing things … very often it’s not because they’re important or actually make us happy.
Be Real
Rather than constantly trying to squeeze in time for artificial exercise, get real exercise from physical work :
- Travelling
- Cleaning
- Gardening.
Value The Everyday At Home
- Make time to clean …
- Make time to cook simple healthy recipes you know off by heart …
- … be in the moment …
- … and enjoy what you’re doing.
Low Info
Our chronic fear of missing out has left us addicted to news and updates that distract us from the personal practices and rhythms that truly support and sustain our lives :
Don't Be Always On
- Switch off phone notifications.
- Go out without your phone.
- Switch your phone off when you’re with your kids.
- Go on a wifi & phone free retreat every year.
Cut Down On Incoming
- Go on a low information diet.
- Break your cable news addiction … whatever our politics, it is equally bad for us!!
- Deinstall any apps you’re addicted to on your phone.
- Stick to one messaging app only.
- Unsubscribe from a couple of email lists every day.
Celebrate Seasons
Marking the seasons of the year provides a profound pattern to the seasons of our lives that over commercial celebrations never reach:
Be Seasonal
- Follow the seasons …
- … join the harvest
- … sleep more in winter.
Honour Past Rhythms
- Find time every week to connect with the past.
- Enjoy the calm of the old and familiar ...
- ... and organise your calendar around simple traditions.
But recognise the times in the year you take on too much e.g. Christmas, holidays, new school year and work out what else you will stop doing to build in slack.
My very last slow living tip is to be a little more sceptical of progress.
A forever chase after the future leaves us rootless and lost. A simpler slower lifestyle builds a stronger bridge to both the opportunities and the challenges of unknown times ahead.
I do hope these slow living tips help you find more joy living slowly.
Do bookmark or save on Pinterest to come back to and mull over.
For more easy ways to enjoy a resilient life follow me on Pinterest and read these :
- Slower Happier Parenting
- 50 Little Ways To Ease Stress
- 14 Simple Frugal Life Skills
- 30 Lovely Ways To Calm Down
- 30 Ways To Live Debt Free
Original image source: under licence from rawpixel.com
Egypt says
This is a fab list of various techniques for slowing down. I especially like the list on living locally. I find when I walk more or bike around my neighborhood I naturally feel less hurried and better centered. One area I'd also add to this list is applying minimalism on a mental level. In terms of slowing down our overactive minds by using positive distractions like reading nurturing material, or journaling. I feel a lot of us live such cluttered lives, stemming from an overactive mind. Meditation also helps with this. Once again thanks for this post
Alice says
Great point. So many of us are struggling with over busy minds. I feel screens have really played a part in this. We almost need to relearn how to think slowly and rebuild those slower paths in our brains.
Evon says
Those a very good tips for slowing down. Life is just passing too fast, but since I moved to a warmer climate, this helped to find better relaxation from the sun outside. Great read.
Alice says
The sun does make a difference doesn't it. Certainly not warm here in London right now but still lovely to get out and slowly stroll the park as first signs of spring emerge.
Amy says
Hey Alice, I really loved reading your blog. It's given me great tips on slow living. I first start delving into slow living when I moved to the countryside. I was feeling unfulfilled, stressed, and I was craving something. Slow living has totally changed my perspective and life outlook. I love following the seasons, spending more time in nature and setting myself reminders to be present.
I just started a tea company to encourage people to slow down over tea. I couldn't find your contact, but if you'd be interested in collaborating on content, feel free to reach out to me on hello@nela-nela.com.
Wishing you a beautiful, slow day,
Amy
Sage says
Love these tips! My partner and I have wanted to live more slowly for the past few years. She's an environmental engineer who mainly works on environmental planning projects so she's always so busy with work. We've been making goals each month for how we can slow down and be more present in our lives. I will absolutely be referencing this post over the next few months.
Alice says
I do hope they help Sage - I would love to hear what works best for you.
Daniel says
Eu adoraria viver isso de forma completa. Me vejo como um ser minimalista e procuro práticar isso em todos os aspectos da minha vida, mas é algo bem difícil de conduzir quando se tem filhos menores. Além disso o(a) parceiro(a) precisa estar alinhado com esses valores ou pode ocorrer frustração na tentativa sem o devido apoio. Por isso, minha recomendação é: Faça por si só e sobre aspectos que dependem exclusivamente de você. E busque não criar expectativa sobre os outros.