Are you tired of Hustle culture? When was the last time you took a pause and reflected on your day? Then it’s time for you to reconsider alternative ways of living and designing your own life. The advent of COVID-19 forced people to start living in cities. This made many ponder to rethink their way of living. Our Ancestors have been living a Slow lifestyle since the dawn of civilization. It’s only our 4 to 5-decade-old generation that is carried away by a tech-savvy lifestyle. Causing people to become victims to an overstimulated state of mind.

Today’s Blog is for you if you have been striving to find a work-life balance in your routine. One of the best ways to imbibe slow living in cities is through knowing in depth why slow living is essential. This blog will deepen your understanding of slow living like never before.

 With hustle culture, we are living life with a limited understanding of ourselves.

Why is it Important to live Slowly ? 

Today generation is constantly operating from the stimulated state of mind. A mind that is used to work carrying the constant stress of deadlines in day-to-day life. Though we as a generation are heading swiftly towards growth and success. But at what cost? The automated cycle of stress in you is slowly killing you. Lifestyle diseases have started manifesting inside your body.

Slow living is one of the significant parts of the Holistic Lifestyle To imbibe Slow living in day-to-day life you need to be conscious and mindful. And to be conscious and mindful you need to devote some time to deep conscious thinking. This requires a slow pace of the environment.When people are in sync with their slow deep breathing they can make accurate decisions. 

This accommodates Slow and deep thinking. Deep thinking generates quality solutions to any problem.

Our simulated minds are spoiled with choices. Where staying still even for a moment turns us restless and bored.

With too many overwhelming tasks in hand, our breaths have also gotten used to breathing fast. Which was the last time you breathed properly during the day? It is one of the basic things yet the most precious of all. Slow living enhances our breathing pace. And helps us take control of our unnecessary emotions. Slow living is one of the best ways for all mental health seekers to get rid of the stressful cycle of daily demands.

   In a recent article for Fashion Journal  Designer Ludbey coined the term “Snail Girl”.” Snail Girl refers to women who prioritize their well-being and happiness over the Girl Boss lifestyle. Further she says, As “Girl Boss” she constantly felt the pressure to be perceived as successful . However, after pandemic, she realized that a purposeful life is not linked to success.

 Slow living has the potential to break the cycle of constant stress that our busy lives create. And add value to the lives of todays generation where they can grow to their full potential taking charge of their mental health.

If you still have some doubts about how you can work this out.

Let’s understand what slow living means exactly 

What is slow living?

To understand what is slow living we need to understand what slow living is not. Slow living doesn’t mean you have to give all the fast life pleasures. It only means doing things at the right speed where required. A lot of people mistake slow living to live a life at a slower pace. It’s all about your mindset. It all depends on the way you decide to live that moment irrespective of the chaos around.

    Slow life also doesn’t mean giving up your ambitions. You can still live a quiet life pursuing your ambitions if you are a good planner. Slow living doesn’t imply living an inactive or boring life. It means striking the right balance where you can operate your best.

It is all about designing your lifestyle. Where you focus on your mind, body, and spirit over any other materialistic priorities. We all are unique beings with unique habits, lifestyles, genetic makeup, and values. Craft a life that keeps your well-being intact. This will help you keep up with the fast-paced lifestyle.

   Slow living always existed in human civilization for centuries. It was the gap created by technology in the past 4 to 5  decades that lost the original essence of slow life. Slow living might seem quite an undigestable term for today’s millennials. Technology has created an enormous gap in the way people perceive their lives.

  But we have also seen the Covid-19 pandemic creating comebacks. People have started rethinking new ways of lifestyle choices. Which are more attuned towards achieving work-life balance. As the priority shifted towards individual mental wellbeing.

   Thankfully not all brains are wired to live a fast life. My slow approach to life triggered many doubts about my capability to me. I often used to wonder if I was lazy or not able to match up with the pace of the fast world. At times I criticized myself for not being willing to live a fast life.

   I have finally rediscovered my version of it. It’s a slow living with an occasional combination of busy life that suits my brain wiring. Not that I am lazy, my brain operates best when I approach everything at a relaxed pace. At least as a writer and person with mental health issues.

Besides, now I understand that my brain absorbs information more adeptly when I am in slow mode. Having a writer’s mind slow living suits my pace of thought. It allows me to research and come out with thoughtful insights.

Slow living can pamper you with enormous benefits when you look back at your life. The only thought that would cross your mind would be that you have lived a fulfilled and contended life. There are countless other benefits one can experience through living a slow life in the city. Below are the 6 benefits I experienced throughout my life. 

6 life-changing benefits of slow Living in cities

1. Reduces Stress and Anxiety:

We all have experienced 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. One day you were overworked and came home completely drained. And one day you finished all your tasks on time and came home in a happy mood. Most of the everyday stresses today are triggered because of the overwhelming job, overuse of distractive social media, & other social responsibilities. Where no time is left for personal space. Stress is one of the major contributing factors to various lifestyle illnesses. When you intentionally change your approach by prioritizing important tasks, you will find your sync back to everyday slow life. Slow living allows one to experience nourishment inside out.

1. Self-Reflection:

  When we are busy rushing with tight deadlines, we miss out on this valuable practice called ‘Self-Reflection’. Self-reflection promotes clarity. 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 any habit an unconscious pattern. When you take time to reflect, you can identify where you are right or wrong. 50 percent of your life problems will be solved if you self-reflect on yourself regularly. You can call it your me time too.

1. 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 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 is where we start living. When we live in the present we make right and accurate decisions aligned with our higher purpose. Thinking of the past and future only triggers stress and grief.

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

When you live at a slow pace every moment, each memory you collect makes you realize its depth and preciousness. Even small acts like cuddling with your kid and sipping coffee with your favorite book, become precious moments flooded with a sense of gratitude. In this fast-running train of thoughts, slow living helps you grab gold nuggets.

5. You become more Creative, Productive and focused 

    Have you ever seen creative ideas coming to you on a rushed and busy day? We all are creators and we all have tons of unique creativity inside us. To see the magic of creativity unfolding, we need to empty our heads of daily distractions. Productivity comes when we are in a motivated state of mind or when our minds feel nourished. Practicing slow living over some time turns your distractions into focus. When you have fewer things to do it’s natural you will do it with full attention and flow.

6. The sense of contentedness and fulfillment:

We humans at the core are spiritual beings. The deepest satisfaction in handling worldly issues only comes when our personal lives are smooth. 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 difficult to make a choice. 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.

  

Having a writer’s mind I naturally loved approaching life at the slow space. Over a period this also gave me clarity on certain things related to my surroundings. Which helped me live a slow-paced life to my best. Below are 5 effective practices that would instantly sync you back to slow life in this busy world.

5 Effective ways to start slow living for Beginners 

1. Reduce Noise pollution 

One of the overlooked factors that adds to the mess of fast life is noise pollution. Imagine your day filled with traffic noise, people talking, TV blaring, and non-stop noise of some maintenance in neighbors. How does that feel? I know it is difficult to differentiate as you are used to listening to this noise in the background. Now let me put you in the wilderness away from the city. Where random birds are chirping. Invoking a sense of calmness and connection to nature. Removing yourself from such a noisy environment will work the magic of time travel back to slow life.

2. Choose reading books over OTT platforms for entertainment

With the advent of gripping web series on OTT platforms, the average book reader has stopped reading the books they used to read. I am not saying you should stop seeing them. But why break the habit of reading slow thrillers? We need to balance it out. Books are another way to take you back in time or imagination. Where you can experience feelings through visualizations and tune yourself to slow life. 

3. Focus on your self-care 

When you focus on yourself it is not just healing your body, but your mind and soul too. Follow some small routines of self-care in the morning or night that make you feel nice & confident about yourself. In the daily demands of fast life, we don’t realize how hard are we on ourselves. This restores the stress that your body goes through.

4. Digital Detox

A few years back we booked our vacation stay in the Wilderness resort. We had no idea this place was an internet zone. We came unprepared. Later know no net in the rooms. It was a digital detox resort. Thankfully, I carried my book along with me. A few hours were a little tough. But the after-effect before we checked out was wonderful. Though we lived there for 2 days, we felt we lived for many days. We shared some valuable moments going through old pictures in my phone gallery which I would never do on a normal busy day. This way I also got enough time to declutter my gadgets too.

5. Eat Mindfully  

I know this sounds bizarre. But nowadays even Dietitians agree and encourage the double benefits we have of eating our food mindfully. Relishing every bite of it. When eating food appreciating the flavors and textures helps you digest and absorb the food well. What other better way than this, would help you slow down and breathe at least when you eat food?

You do not have to practice these tips all in one day. Go with your heart’s flow. And add it to your daily practices. Even to make this decision you have to be conscious enough to make this living a part of your life for the better. This strong awareness will always help you stay motivated during your practices.

Unfortunately, an expeditious way of life may seem more attractive and smart to many. As it adds to the layers of identity in a materialistic world.

It is all about knowing the importance, practicing, and acknowledging the depth of Paced living. ‘Slow living’ is infusing all aromas of life at the right time and right place. It leaves no room for regret in any area of your life. 

The choice is always yours now or never….