Staying busy and keeping a hustle in life are the key pressures of society, online media and in general individuals today. There’s a common belief that the more you do in the world, the better chances you have at achieving happiness and success. And while working hard can bring you some form of fulfillment, hustling nonstop can often do more harm than good and can leave people in a constant state of stress and turmoil. For this reason, more and more people are beginning to realize that this way of life isn’t sustainable and have begun seeking out a more simple life with a more manageable pace. And this lifestyle is known as slower living. 

Slower living follows a philosophy of living a life with a more intentional purpose. It’s about creating a life where you truly thrive in your routine and never find yourself feeling overwhelmed, overworked, or burnt-out. So whether you’re tired of the constant buzz of everyday life or just looking to live your life in a more fulfilling way, slower living can help to open your mind to a deeper purpose that teaches you how to live each day fully and with value.  

With that said, if you’re looking to get started with the concepts of slower living in your own life, here’s a simple guide to five ways you can work to incorporate slower living easily into your everyday life, even for the busiest of souls. 

How to achieve slower living

Practice slowing down and being present 

To start, the first way to achieve slower living is to practice being more present in your daily life. This means working to break away from living your life on autopilot and start being more aware of everything happening in your life to better live each moment fully. You can do this simply in your daily activities by slowing down and focusing only on what you’re doing in the current moment. For example, when you make a delicious meal, only focus on making the meal instead of making a work phone call or catching up on that latest show while you do it. 

This, more than anything, will help to teach you to only focus on what you are doing in this present moment without distracting yourself with other tasks. This can help you to focus on one thing at a time to truly help you breathe in each moment and connect with its experiences fully. No phones, no tv, no distractions, no problems!

Take some time away from screens

Next, it’s no secret that technology has become a huge focus over the last decade for just about everyone. And while the use of tech can be a great way to stay connected with others, it can also negatively affect our mental health as well as our time management skills and is essential to take time away from to make space for other areas of our lives. 

More than anything, slower living helps to remind people to be more conscious of their screen time use to help them use their time more wisely and allow plenty of time for more fulfilling activities, such as rest, self-care, reading, or personal hobbies. Now, don’t let this fool you; this doesn’t mean you have to give up your smartphone or TV. This ultimately just means learning to be more aware of how long you use your devices as well as being more conscious about the content that is fed to you from them. This could mean setting a certain amount of time every day for screen use as well as only looking at content on social platforms that truly adds to your life.

Above all else, unplugging for a bit can truly help to give you a new perspective on your life and your priorities in general and should be practiced regularly for those looking to slow life down. 

 

Create a routine with a purpose

The next tip to achieving a slower living is to create a routine. This can be a great way to help you find the meaning of slower living in your life, as it can teach you how to use your time wisely for your own purposes. Therefore, try to pace yourself throughout your day and remember that the tasks on your agenda are not a race to complete; therefore, you should allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy every part of them without feeling rushed. 

So whether it’s walking the dog, taking a refreshing shower, or drinking a cup of tea, it’s important to remember that things will take as long as they need to take, and accepting this is a big step to reaching a beautiful state of mindfulness that is associated with slower living. 

 

Make time for self-care

Next, another key way to align with the ideas of slower living is to start making your self-care a priority. Too many times, people are so caught up in the hustle of everyday life that they forget to recharge their energy, which can quickly lead to burnout. Therefore, by implementing the concepts of slower living into your life, it means taking the necessary time to prioritize you and your mental, physical, and emotional health every day to create a more positive and fulfilling life for you on all levels. 

Whether this is done through meditation, a relaxing evening bath, or simply dedicating some time daily to work on your passions, taking a slower approach to your leisure time allows you to truly give yourself the care you need and deserve. Therefore, make it a goal every day to set aside time to just do you without worrying about the rest of the world for a bit.

Ask yourself what success looks like to you 

And lastly, slower living is all about finding happiness in your life above all else. This way of living allows you to connect deeper to the unique and individual values that you have and is all about pacing yourself and doing things at the speed that feels right for you. For this reason, be sure to dedicate some time to spend with yourself. Get to know who you are inside and out, and ask yourself what truly brings you a sense of fulfillment, and start figuring out how to bring that into your daily life. 

Truly, there’s no better time than the present to make a change to create your happiest and most fulfilling life possible, and slower living is here to help you do just that.

Learning to make room for a slower way of living can be quite the adjustment in this fast-paced world, but it can also be one of the most rewarding decisions you ever make. More than anything, follow your heart and allow it to guide you towards a lifestyle of personal fulfillment, and remember, you should never base your life around your work. Instead, find a way to base your work around your life and prioritize what makes you happy more than anything else. If you do that, you are sure to always be successful.