A quote from one of Aesop’s fables once said, “Slow but steady ready wins the race” and I believe that concept fits with how we should approach life. We can do this with slow living which is when we do things in our everyday lives slower so we can reflect, enjoy, and appreciate our lives and everything around us more.
Becoming More In Tune With Ourselves
We can start this process by giving ourselves time to stop and reflect about what’s actually going on with us. Doing check-ins with ourselves like, “How do I feel currently?” or “Is what I am doing serving my life right now or harming it?”. This creates an opportunity to be honest with ourselves about our emotions, our desires, and our motives for doing things.
It’s okay to start saying “no” to things you don’t want to do and distractions because it will make room for things that are more aligned with you. From there, it will help us be intentional with our actions and start living a life that caters to our needs instead of life telling us what to do.
Most importantly, it will help you start living more deeply, productively, and help you spend more time on what you’re truly passionate about pursuing.
S…l…o…w Activities for You
Make time for yourself to destress by doing slower activities that will help you live in the moment more. Start a gratitude journal and each day write something you’re grateful for and why. Take a walk outside and observe the beauty of the nature around you. Do some time consuming activities such as baking, painting, puzzles and more. Write your heart out through journaling, creating stories or poetry. Change your perspective or step into a new world by reading a book. Breathe in and out with yoga or meditation to help you become more connected with your mind and body and destress after a tiring day. While these things take time, they allow us to enjoy the process of doing the activity instead of rushing to complete something.
Step Away from Your Phone
Sometimes we’re more present in our digital lives than our actual lives. Unplugging our phones can help us be more present in the real world. We can have more time to pay attention to little details in our lives that we didn’t see before. It can help us be more engaged in our conversations when hanging out with others. In the mornings we can focus on enjoying getting ready for the day and at night we can have an easier transition into our sleep.
That email or text can wait. Seeing our fave celeb’s latest pictures can wait. The things happening right before our eyes can’t. Giving ourselves time limits and breaks from our phones will allow us to truly savor each minute and see the goodness in our lives.
In essence, slowing down helps us live in the moment and see the beauty in our lives. Start going with the flow, letting go, and knowing yourself and the life around you more. It’s time to slowly enjoy the ride of life.