Does slow living feel boring to you? Then you need to know some surprising benefits Slow living can offer to your Mental wellbeing. Today, the digital age has closed the chapter of a slow lifestyle for the past few years. And this certainly has opened the door for new lifestyle diseases like stress, fatigue, etc. So what exactly is slow living? Let’s understand it first before we make any conclusions.

What is Slow living?

       Slow living doesn’t mean you have to give all the fast life pleasures. It only means doing things consciously and wisely at the right speed where required. Isn’t this the normal way to live life as human beings? Our ancestors lived such a life. Their level of resilience in life was enormous. They had developed the ability to have patience for any given situation in life.

      They say Breathe is life. And various researchers and Spiritual leaders have claimed the relation   between breathing and human emotions. With our fast working pace, our breaths have also got used to breathing fast. Which was the last time you deep breathed during the day? It is one of the most basic things yet the most precious of all. If you create an atmosphere where you can breathe deeply in peace, it will shower you with magical unknown benefits in all areas of life. Breathing completely calms your nervous system and helps to generate enough flow of oxygen to your thinking brain.

                   Slow living enhances our breathing pace naturally. Which we always take for granted by default. When you breathe richly you are also in control of your emotions. Slow thinkers are also deep thinkers. Deep thinking generates quality solutions to any problem holistically.

      Slow and mindful living is one of the significant parts of the Holistic lifestyle. The entire Holistic lifestyle is designed at a slow pace. Because to be conscious and mindful you need to be aware of the particular moment and devote some time for deep conscious thinking. This requires a slow pace of environment where a person can make an accurate conscious decision when they are in sync with their slow deep breath.

     Despite witnessing the benefits of slow living during COVID-19, a lot of us are still not able to adapt to the slow flow of life. Our highly stimulated minds are spoiled with various choices to serve our needs in the high-tech world. Where staying still even for a moment turns us restless and bored. And too many tasks at hand overwhelm us increasing our stress levels regularly. 

                 So slow living is not living life back in the 80s and 90s but it’s an art to practice mindful and conscious living at a comfortable pace regardless of outside stressors.

    5 Surprising Benefits of Slow Living to Mental Health 

   Slow living can pamper you with enormous benefits gradually when you look back at your life. The only thought that would cross your mind would be that you have lived a fulfilled and contented life.

A few of the best benefits I experienced when I Re-discovered my slow-living journey are mentioned below.There might be countless other benefits yet to be discovered. But these are the most prominent and highly effective in my opinion.

 1. Reduces Stress and Anxiety:

     We all have experienced it ourselves how fast life has taken a toll on our emotional health in the past few decades. Compare your state of mind on two working days when you were overworked and came home tired and drained. And one day you finished all your tasks on time and came home energetically and happy. Most of the everyday stresses are triggered because of the overwhelming job and social responsibilities. Where no time is left for personal endeavors.

     Stress is one of the major contributing factors to various lifestyle illnesses. When you intentionally change your approach by prioritizing important tasks and time you will automatically find your sync back to everyday slow life. Slow living is all about experiencing nourishment inside out which is aligned with your core values as a person.

                 If you are really keen to start your slow living journey and soak up in all the deep thoughts , would recommend a book written by a Buddhist Monk from Korea , Haemin Sumin ,” The things you can see only when you slow down.

   2. Self-Reflection:

  When we are busy rushing with tight deadlines and other errands we miss out on this valuable practice called ‘Self-Reflection’. Self-reflection promotes clarity and allows you to look at the whole picture and make the right decision at the right time. Our minds are designed in such a way that we easily make a certain habit an unconscious pattern even if it is not good for us. When you take time out you are also able to reflect on the bad habits you are practicing unconsciously.50 percent of your life problems will be solved if you can self-reflect on yourself regularly.

   3. Being in Present:

   One of the best parts of slow living is that it naturally shifts your attention to the present. You tend to live life consciously with your complete awareness of the present. When you are in the present you vibrate at a higher frequency or at least a neutral frequency. When there is nothing to worry about the past and future present are where we start living. When we live in the present we tend to make right and accurate decisions aligned with our higher purpose.

   4. You start savoring life’s simple moments and memories:

      When you live at a slow pace every moment and memory you collect consciously makes you realize its depth and preciousness. Even small acts like cuddling with your kid, and sipping your coffee with one of your favorite books, become a precious moment flooded with a sense of gratitude.

   5. Overall sense of contentedness and fulfillment:

    We humans at the core are spiritual beings. Even if we appear to be busy on a superficial layer to the outside world, in reality, the deepest satisfaction in handling any worldly issues only comes when our health and relations are sorted out in our personal lives.

    Slow living is one of the power-packed ways to give you happiness inside out. They say success is not about climbing that ladder of fame, but your true success depends on your contentedness and fulfillment in life. A life well-lived is the most exquisite work of art.

      In this world of chaos, it’s your choice how you choose to lead a life slow, fast, or hybrid. Go with what your heart says. I am sure when you ask your heart it will guide you right. Because sometimes our heart knows better than us. Because it is more aligned with the human experience over the worldly experience.