7 SMALL Ways To Practice SLOW LIVING & Enjoy Life MORE

7 SMALL Ways To Practice SLOW LIVING & Enjoy Life MORE

Hey everyone, We're going to discuss seven ways to slow down and begin enjoying life more. And I think that we can all agree that we live in a busy world. Stress and anxiety are huge struggles for many of us. That's why the concept of slow living is so needed in today's culture. When we reject that constantly busy mindset and embrace the style of slowness, simplicity, of intentionality, we're able to regain a lot of our enjoyment of life.

And so I want to share with you seven small ways that you can begin to embrace a slower lifestyle. Let's get started now with my first tip though.

Check-in With Your Body

One fascinating but mostly subconscious phenomenon that we experience is that when we're stressed, or when we're deep in focus, our body and specifically our muscles tend to tighten up and cease. And this can cause us a wide variety of issues from headaches to back and neck pain to shoulder tension. And obviously, to some extent, stress is unavoidable but what we can control is how we respond to that. And this is where checking in on your body comes in.

Whenever you feel yourself getting stressed or feeling anxious, take a moment and check in on your body. Unclench your jaw, relax your shoulder muscles, take a few deep breaths. What you'll find is that your body was actually storing tension in those areas and that by creating a physical release of those muscles, you actually create a mental release, which is going to decrease your stress, anxiety, feelings of overwhelm.

And of course, it's easy to talk about this and recommend this right now when you're not feeling stressed or overwhelmed. When push comes to shove, the most difficult part of this is actually remembering to check in on your body when you're in the midst of that stress. And so this particular piece of advice actually has two parts to it.

Number one, you want to learn to recognize, when you're feeling stressed to get out of your head and into your body. And then the second part of this is to actually check-in, release that tension and calm yourself down. So checking in with your body is a great place to get started.

Start Your Day Slowly and Mindfully

The beginning of our days is such a crucial time that we can use to set up our entire days for success, as well as focus on ourselves mentally, emotionally, and physically. So the first aspect of this is just to make sure that you're leaving enough time in your morning to be able to pursue some of those goals, in those passions that you have.

When it comes to slow living, yes, you want to create time so that you can actually have a full morning routine. But the second aspect of this is not to go through your morning routine in a way that feels like you're checking off things from a list. There may be things that you have to do every day to get ready. But how are you going about doing them?

It's this whole idea of routine versus ritual. When we think of a routine, what first comes to mind is going through the motions. You're checking off boxes, you're completing the tasks that you have. You're going about it in a very regimented manner. But in contrast, rituals have a connotation of intentionality, of mindfulness, of attention to every single detail.

And so when I say start your day mindfully, that concept of a ritual is what I want you to keep in mind. Don't just mindlessly go through the motions but give appreciation and attention to every detail of what you're doing. 

Focus On The Big Picture

I think many of us have a tendency to get too caught up in the details. We place way more emphasis on the small things, and we should. We might get frustrated when our partner is running late or exasperated when we get a stain on a piece of clothing. But if we take a step back and focus on the big picture, we can get a far better understanding of how important or unimportant something like that is.

One great way to focus on the big picture is when you're feeling exasperated or angry or upset to just ask yourself the question, will this matter when I'm 80 years old looking back on life. Chances are you won't even remember it. Just asking that simple question can really help you to gain perspective.

But if you're needing something a bit more significant, what I'd recommend is to try going for a walk. There is nothing like being out in nature to give you a broader perspective of what's going on. What I particularly love about nature is that when we get outdoors, we realized just how small you really are in the grand scheme of things which is another fantastic way of getting perspective.

Limit Your Screen Time

A big part of slow living is the increased ability that we have to focus on relationships. And unfortunately, although our mobile devices are designed to help us connect with others. What happens more often than not is that they become a massive distraction that keeps us from being able to be present with others.

So while we don't need to get rid of our smartphones entirely, it's important that we're conscious of how much we're using them and what media we're taking in. Are you using the features on your phone that do will allow you to connect with others, texting, calling, face-timing? Or is the majority of the time you spend on your phone spent on distractions, things like gaming apps, social media, or online shopping?

Ask yourself, if you're using your phone for the right reasons, as well as if you might be overusing your phone, and I encourage you to make adjustments accordingly. When we limit our screen time, it increases our ability to be present, which in turn it has a huge impact on our ability to slow down and enjoy life.

Savor Small Moments

This is a simple one, but an important one. Take a few minutes to really enjoy your tea or coffee, spend a bit of time appreciating the new leaf that's going on a plan, or if you're on a walk, stop and smell the roses. We talked a bit about this with morning routines. But we can often have a tendency to move from task to task to task. We're always doing it without necessarily enjoying it.

And so with this tip, I want you to stop always having to do do do. And instead to focus on just enjoying the moment that you're in. What's really amazing is that when we learn to stop and savor those moments to really focus on appreciating the little things our overall happiness is going to increase exponentially. Savoring the small moments is a great way to integrate gratitude into your daily life, and it really will transform your mindset number.

Turn Off The Noise

If you always find yourself reading, listening to something, or turning on something to watch in the background, try unplugging and being present. I think that appreciating silence is something of a lost art. But in our desire to live more mindfully and to embrace the living, it is essential.

It creates white space that gives us time to think, process, and reflect. And that is so valuable. So if you often find yourself always listening to something, try unplugging for a change and just learn to appreciate and sit in silence. 

Practice A Hobby

A few months ago, I went up to someone and was getting to know them, and in the course of our conversation, asked what their hobbies were. And they responded, telling me that they didn't have any hobbies. And I don't think this person was alone.

Many people are so distracted with work, or with staring at screens that they have forgotten to enjoy hobbies. And I think an increased ability to pursue how these is one of the greatest benefits of slow living. And so whether you want to take up embroidery or plant care, or water coloring, or literally any other hobby, these are all activities that allow us to engage in enjoyable and mindful work. And once again, shift the script from always doing, doing, doing to slowing down and focusing on something that's enriching and fun.

So there you have it. Those are seven small ways to slow down. And in this busy world that we live in, this lifestyle is needed now more than ever.

Be sure to let me know in the comments. What's one way that you try to incorporate slow living into your daily life? Be sure to comment that down below. But thank you all so much. I'll see you at the next one.