How Slow Living Can Change Your Life

Image by IRO House

Busyness has a way of creeping up on us. Before you know it, your schedule can get so full that our capacity for self-love is at an all-time low. In a world that barks go-go-go, slowing down seems like quite a foreign concept. It doesn’t have to be though, especially if one of your goals is to start living life on your terms. There’s an ease that comes with living the simple life, mainly because it will show you exactly where the stress in your life stems from. If you’re considering taking your time back in this way, you’ll find that letting go of an expectation or two can be incredibly rewarding. Here’s what I found when I consciously took a step back, reclaimed my time, and limited my notifications:

1. A Shift in Priorities & Perspective

You might be surprised to find your view of the world expands when your hustle gets simplified because the world looks a lot different when you’re not stressed. Suddenly, life happenings and challenges are put into perspective, and for the first time, you might actually have the space to process what’s going on around and within you. 

For example, I found that my day no longer revolved around rushing through my morning routine to make it to another day full of meetings or jam-packed errands. Tolerance is gained and your priorities shift to consider more meaningful intentional action. Where I once rushed through the day to check off another task, I was finally able to take the time to enjoy a meal with gratitude for the local supply chain that brought me the spinach to complete my breakfast. By stripping away distractions, the gravity of my life’s journey started to set in, and each second of the day carried a new weight, carried new meaning. And I was able to see everything with new eyes and a new set of values.

2. Finding Time to Heal, Recover and Grow

With room to breathe and a broadened perspective, it becomes easier to let go of the heavyweights as you continue to slow down — i.e. unsupportive expectations, obligations, relationships, and habits. It’s almost like doing a Marie Kondo decluttering exercise, except you’re doing that for every single aspect of your life. 

For example, the more I took inventory of the things I unwantedly signed up for and scaled back on people-pleasing tendencies, the more I started to release the fear of judgment and made room to cultivate more joyful experiences. 

So that could mean for you, setting a boundary with a friend or at work that honors the time you set aside to enroll in therapy or to establish a weekly activity. That, in turn, may allow you to free your inner child or practice self-forgiveness. In the pause, joyful experiences can include peace of mind, genuine healing, and journeying at a pace that coincides with what best serves YOU and YOUR own holistic development. 
 

3. Authentic Planning & Scheduling

Authenticity is rare in the sea of a profit-minded majority. Living slowly opens the door for us all to get out of our heads, out of anxiety-inducing schedules, and to get more attuned with our intuition and inspirations.

For example, I found that I suddenly had thirty minutes to move my life forward  — i.e. to go on a refreshing stroll or finally have the time to explore long-term goals. I became so hyper-aware of how much people-pleasing and hustling to get by dictated my life. And in your case, if you try reducing the speed at which you’re journeying through life, you might find that this makes you angry (as it did me). It should, because that anger will teach you how to redirect or pour your energy into only what authentically interests or betters YOU!

4. Mental Health Awareness

Once you’ve scaled back on the noise, found your footing, and preferred pacing, you might discover a refined sense of self; one that operates from a place of self-care, compassion, responsibility, and awareness. Understanding your own boundaries, mental patterns and emotional capacity will begin to subtly replace trendy chatter, another unresolved void, or days lived out of guilt and shame. You’ll finally have the time to take ownership of your mental healing and knowing.

For example, slowing down allowed me to get a better grasp of my anxiety and all of the things that trigger it. By going through this process, I learned that I like not having to stress about there being too much on my plate, by feeling rushed or unprepared… despite being a compulsive planner, that is. I’ve learned that I like taking time out in the morning to journal, to have that “me” time, and to get in the right headspace prior to starting my day or even pouring into others. These are just some of the mental health and self-care needs that I’ve become aware of simply by reallocating, managing, and reclaiming my time.

These are the many beauties of slowing down in life, and I’m happy to share them with you because they’ve done wonders in mine! It’s certainly played a pivotal part in healing my own anxiety, and that’s something I’m grateful for every single day.