5 Ways To Slow Down and Live More Intentionally
Practical ways I found to live a more mindful life
It seems to me that the world gets more and more hectic by the second, and as members of society, we often get pulled along with it. The topic of slowing down and re-centering is one that is increasing and becoming more adapted as the world’s need for hustlers and fast workers continues to grow. One thing is clear, despite the frantic and busy environment that we live in, people want to slow down. The need to create a balanced lifestyle is more prominent now than it ever was before; I see it with my friends, my family, coworkers, and even strangers online. But slowing down isn’t as simple as it sounds. It requires intentional thoughts and actions to resist all of life's temptations.
What is Slow Living?
Before I continue, it’s important to define what slow living is.
Slow living is a reflective approach to everyday life. It’s about understanding yourself and recognizing when there is a need for busyness and when there is a need for slowness. It’s not simply about being slow but instead about being slow or fast when life calls for it. It’s about shifting perspective from reactive and aimless actions to intentional and purposeful ones. It’s about putting yourself first when society or your job tells you not to.
5 Activities to Slow Down & Live More Intentionally
How do you practice slow living?
If you’re constantly feeling overwhelmed, burned out, stressed out, or anxious, then learning the art of slow living might be beneficial to you. I’ve curated a list of five simple activities to help you slow down and live more intentionally.
1. Set Intentions
Setting intentions for your day, week, or even month, is a great way to slow down and re-center. Intentions help you keep in touch with yourself, your goals, your desires, and your needs.
An intention that I revisit on a day to day is to be creative. No matter what I end up doing that day or what plans I have, I always strive to let out my creative side. At work, this means speaking up about my ideas. At home, it means engaging in tasks or hobbies that make me feel creative; this could be writing, dancing, playing piano, or finishing up a 1000-piece puzzle. And with friends, this means going out for a picnic and a photoshoot or hosting a paint and sip.
It’s important to set intentions that line up with your goals and desires. If your goal is to slow down, then perhaps your intention for the day or week should be to be more present during your day-to-day tasks.
2. Set Boundaries
Set healthy boundaries that support your well-being and growth.
What are boundaries? Boundaries are limits that you set for yourself and others. They are what tell others and yourself what you will and will not tolerate. In terms of slow living, this can mean learning how to say no to others in order to prioritize yourself. It means respecting your needs and being able to communicate that with others. It means choosing you.
A boundary that I recently set for myself is leaving work at work. I work remotely, and although I love my job, it can get pretty overwhelming. When I used to work at a physical location, it was easier to leave work at work when I clocked out for the day. The moment that 5 PM hit, I knew that the work day was over, and all thoughts of work flew out of my head. But remote work is different. Sure there’s still the familiar schedule — at least I can take comfort in that — but there’s no building to leave at the end of the day and no traffic jam to complain about on the drive home. Everything is done from the comfort of your home, which is great but being the somewhat workaholic that I am, I frequently catch myself checking and completing work tasks when I’m off the clock. So to change this, I’ve been setting boundaries around my work time and letting my team members know that I am unavailable after 5 PM. This has been helping me make more time for myself and to be mindful of my actions.
3. Make time for things you love
Whether it be a hobby or simply spending time with friends and family, it’s important to make time for the things and people that you love. Making time for the things you love means prioritizing living life to the fullest. It’s about enjoying the simple moments and activities that make you feel happy and whole. To me, this means reading a book outside or in bed after work, learning a new pastry recipe on a Friday night, or even just playing games with friends and family.
So think about some activities that you enjoy, and then identify some ways that you can make more time for them; this could be by reducing the amount of time that you spend on other activities.
4. Journaling
I’ve shared before what journaling means to me in another post of mine so I won’t talk too much about it here. There are so many benefits to journaling. From reducing anxiety and stress to helping you reconnect with yourself. Journaling is an activity that teaches you mindfulness and self-awareness. It’s a great way to unwind after a long day and release any thoughts that you might have.
If you don’t know where to start with journaling, there are thousands of prompts online. Some of my favorites include; write the story of your life in six words, what are three things that you’re grateful for, and how do you want to feel at the end of the day?
5. Be Present
Being present in the moment is being grounded in the here and now. It teaches us to appreciate the beauty and simplicity of life, like the smell of a morning coffee or tea, the sunrise at six in the morning, the sound of a quiet house, and the first bite of a home-cooked meal. These are the things that make life beautiful, but we often tend to neglect and disregard them.
A bad habit of mine is multitasking. It’s something that I’ve done for as long as I can remember without ever thinking that it was a bad thing. But since I started learning about slow living and its benefits, I realized that this habit was hurting me more than helping me. before, I couldn’t sit down and watch a movie without reaching for my phone or sit down to write without wandering off to dozens of other websites. But after practicing mindfulness and being in the present, I slowly noticed myself improving. It’s a slow and continuous journey, and there will be days when you feel as though you have no time for yourself, but that’s okay. It’s all about taking things slowly.
I hope that you found this post helpful.
What are some ways that you’re learning to slow down? Comment on this post. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
~ Thanks for reading.
