A guide to slow living

Ever feel that you are juggling many different things at once that you don’t have time live in the present? In this day and age, we can probably all relate to this feeling. Stress levels are higher than they have ever been and we increasingly suffer from disorders such as anxiety and depression. So, what can we do to change the fast paced lifestyle we are living in? The answer is, adopt a slow lifestyle.

A slow lifestyle is the antithesis of the chaotic and dynamic rhythm we live in.

It’s all about focusing on living the present, being mindful of your thoughts, adopting healthy eating habits, moving your body and finding joy in the mundane things.

By embracing a slow lifestyle, you can transform your way of thinking, moving, eating and living.

This way of living improves your quality of life and longevity, as best represented by the people ofOkinawa, the population that live the longest. Their philosophy is to practice mindful eating, only eat until their 70% full, spend time outdoors, practice sports, spend quality time with loved ones and always focus on the positive aspects of life. Seeing that the Okinawan’s live past their hundreds, it seems that adopting a slow lifestyle is the way forward for long-term health and wellbeing.

So, what does a slow lifestyle really consist of?

Slow down

An important aspect of slow living is taking things as they come and focusing on living the present. There’s no point in anticipating what is going to happen next, as that attitude will only take you away from the most important moment, now. Take a slower approach to everything you do. This doesn’t imply taking double the time when doing something, it simply means that you shouldn’t rush and feel unnecessary pressure to finish things off quickly to move on to the next thing. It’s important to focus on what you’re doing and adopt a relaxed approach in every action that you do.

Slow food

Taking a moment to enjoy a meal, whether it’s alone or with loved ones, has been part of our culture for centuries. It wasn’t till the digital age where we’ve become totally disconnected from the art of enjoying a meal and our digital devices have taken over and have distracted us from being full present in the act of eating. The digestion process starts in the mouth, whilst we chew, therefore, the mere fact that our brain is distracted whilst we’re eating, can make us unaware when we’re feeling full and cause us not to chew our food properly. This can cause digestive issues as well as an increase in appetite. To avoid this from happening, make your eating time a sacred moment where you enjoy the food you’re eating.

Slow movement

When we’re busy running around constantly, we force our body to produce cortisol, the stress hormone, to keep us running on an adrenaline. This constant stress we put our body under, causes premature aging, depression, chronic stress and fatigue. Don’t let stress take over your life, and engage in calming practices such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga and walking in nature. Whilst working out is essential, it’s also important to balance high intensity training with relaxing practices, to allow your body to restore and revitalise itself.

Without a doubt, a slow lifestyle improves your health and wellbeing. We can all implement these positive changes to improve our quality of life. Why not adopt a slow lifestyle?