slow Living and Psychology
Recently, I came across a Youtube video taking about slow living in a fast paced world. To me it was a gentle reminder on the importance of embracing the slow and mundane.
Like most people who grew up in a world where being “productive” was a reflection of your worth. I lived my day to day life stuck in the hustle culture, constantly looking to fill my time with more. This resulted in a life that often felt rushed, without true connection to the world around me.
It was only over the last couple of weeks that I was forced to slow down and embrace the mundane. Realizing the slow and boring is not a bad thing!
Slow living is more than just moving at a relaxed pace. It’s a philosophy, a way of structuring your life around what truly matters.
At its core, slow living asks:
What happens when I stop rushing?
It often looks like:
Saying no to unnecessary commitments
Creating space for rest and creativity
Prioritizing quality over quantity
Other examples include:
Taking your time to sip your coffee instead of chugging it on your way out the door.
Setting your phone down at the doctors office and observing the space around you.
Enjoying the small things in life, reading a book that you enjoy, making your bed or cooking your own meals.
Creating routines in your life that are connected with nature.
Now, like most things, this is easier said than done. For most of us, slowing down feels un-natural. Unfortunately, this a product of the environment most of us live in now, a technology busy world in which we are constantly distracted and avoiding the uncomfortable. We often come up with excuses as to why we cannot slow down, but the truth is slowing down (at first) has to be intentional. Maybe it looks like waking up five minutes earlier so you can enjoy a cup of coffee or tea before your day starts. Perhaps it’s taking two minutes before bed to reflect. We must find a moment or two to spare in which we can connect back to ourselves and our environment.
One tool that can aid us in building a life that is slower, is the psychology term known as mindfulness, a mental practice of being present and non-judgment in the moment. Research by Sucala Et al., indicated that being aware of our present experience can slow down our perception of time. Meaning that we percieve time as moving slower when we are interacting with our environment to the fullest of our abilities. Further research indicates that slowing down allows are senses (taste, touch, sight and sound) to focus which makes experiences more enjoyable! (Kelly, 2022). This means that engaging in a mindfulness practice can strengthen our ability to slow down which can make our life feel more fulfilling, joyful and overall more satisfying.
Looking for a place to start?
