In today’s hustle culture where everything revolves around the next internship or the next exam, the idea of slow living seems counterintuitive at first. After all, why take it down to a two when everyone around you is at an eleven? Why would you spend valuable time doing anything but spreading yourself thin with ten million projects and clubs? We’ve been trained to view the above thoughts as productive and good while space for anything else is seen as lazy and unmotivated. However, when we learn to stop and smell the roses, it encourages us to savor the little moments, prioritize meaning over material, and cultivate a deeper connection with our surroundings by taking things slow.
At its core, taking things slow is about reclaiming control over our lives and how we choose to spend our time. When our minds are constantly going ten million miles a minute, we often lose ourselves in the momentum and end up as bundles of stress. Many people often look back at their time in college as a time of nerves and anxiety, but it doesn’t have to be! One of the most valuable things my upperclassmen friends have taught me is that the memories you cherish the most will happen when you least expect them. The memories you’ll look back on twenty years from now won’t be the ones you spent on LinkedIn or Canvas, but the ones where you embraced the people and places around you. By slowing down and permitting ourselves to unwind, that’s where we’re able to find the most amount of peace.
Taking things slow is all about mind over matter – the ability to find meaning in what we do rather than what we gain. Whether it’s enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning, taking a walk in nature, or simply pausing to take a cute sky pic, mindfulness allows us to find joy and fulfillment in the simple pleasures of life. It also helps to expand your mind beyond the material realm and appreciate the moments when you’re truly calm. By cultivating a habit of mindfulness, we can reduce stress and instead experience fulfillment for fulfillment’s sake.
Instead of constantly chasing after the next big thing, slowing down allows us to appreciate the small things. This might mean spending more time with loved ones, pursuing hobbies and interests that bring us joy, or creating unforgettable memories. In a world that lives by the do-it-now mentality, stopping and smelling the roses offers a much-needed alternative when it comes to how we live the rest of our lives. So why not take a step back and breathe for once? After all, life is not a race but, instead, a journey where we can take as many sky pics as we want.