Why Slow Living Is the Key to a Healthier, Happier Life
On a scale from 1 (very slow) to 10 (extra fast), how do you feel about your life?
If your spontaneous answer was 4 or above, read further. My experiences with living a life on the fast lane and how to slow down could save you too.
And make you happier.
Almost everything in our modern lives has to be fast. Food, relationships, and leisure activities - everything is always in the fast lane. Today, the equivalent of fast has become "convenient."
If it's not fast, we find it uncomfortable, old-fashioned, even an imposition.
But living fast doesn't only have advantages. Unfortunately, unwanted things often come much faster too...
Most people are not even aware of how many areas of our lives this “fast” mentality has crept into. And what consequences it has. Often not only for ourselves but also for other people, society, or even the environment. But we'll come to that later.
For now, let's ask the question: what is the alternative?
Presenting the alternative: slow living
By definition, slow has nothing to do with unpleasant, undesirable, or unsatisfactory. Quite the opposite. Slow living converts life with unusual awareness. People living slowly are often real connoisseurs. Gourmets for the beauties of life.
And they have worked hard for this slowness. Against the tide of society.
The most obvious and well-known area for everyone is “fast food." Yet, there are many other areas of life where the convenience mentality has crept in. Often insidiously. But with horrendous effects.
More about that later.
First, let's take a closer look at the benefits of slow living.
The benefits of slow living
Even the mainstream media, which likes to push our lives, is now writing about the rising statistics. People with mental health problems soon seem to be the majority. But it's not just our brains that are suffering.
Those who slow down their lives will soon enjoy benefits such as:
Mental Health: Reduced stress and anxiety.
Physical health: Better sleep, and improved heart health.
Emotional health: More meaningful relationships and a deeper connection with nature.
Productivity: Slowing down can make you more productive and focused.
How Slow Living Can Save Your Life
Now, you may be asking yourself what gives me the right to talk about slow living? It's quite simple. I am a victim of the fast lane. This has led to hazardous outcomes.
And hopefully, my words will help you change your lifestyle ahead of time.
As a young entrepreneur, I suffered from the same disease as everyone else. I never had time.
Not for vacations,
not for hobbies,
not for my family.
And certainly not for myself.
That meant eating far too quickly. Rarely enough sleep. Constantly available. Always thinking about business. After many years, my body served me the bill for my mismanagement:
A heart attack.
Fortunately, nature gave me a second chance. A chance to correct things.
To rethink. To do things differently.
And I took the chance. In hindsight, it's the simple changes that made my life so much easier. And enjoyable.
5 Practical Ways to Start Living Slowly
Declutter Your Life: Say goodbye to things you don't need. The easiest place to start is with your closet. Nobody needs 30 sweaters, 50 shirts, and 15 pairs of pants.
Sorting out and donating to someone who needs it creates space. And makes you feel good.
Having fewer possessions also creates the reassuring feeling of being able to lose less. Creativity has no space in overcrowded rooms and brains.
Mindful eating: give your food the place it deserves. Namely at the top of the pedestal. Eating should become an almost spiritual affair. The preoccupation with healthy food is calming. Cooking for yourself is like meditation.
Eating slowly and consciously not only makes you feel fuller. It also helps the body to perform its tasks efficiently.
Disconnect from technology: Take the freedom to be unavailable from time to time. Admittedly, this was very difficult for me at first. But with a bit of practice, it soon got better.
No job in the world requires you to be online all the time. Turn off your cell phone. Close your laptop. Don't be available to anyone for 2 hours. A very liberating feeling.
Daily rituals: I'm not a fan of strict morning rituals. And I think most of the gurus' recommendations are pure nonsense. Nobody needs three-hour rituals to start the day successfully. I start my day with coffee, feeding my farm animals and then I start writing. During the day I add short naps, gardening work, and walks.
Spending time in Nature: This is the area that had the biggest and quickest effect on my recovery: reconnection with the natural world.
Consciously experiencing nature, observing animals, and hiking for hours got me back on my feet. And I needed less and less medication. To the horror of my doctors...
What could go wrong?
As with all life changes, slowing down takes courage. And time. Please don't try to change all your habits overnight. It won't work.
Slowly introducing new rituals will have the greatest lasting effect.
Real friends will support your efforts. Your best friend might help you sort your clothes. Or comes to help you cook.
Your best friend may be surprised when you swap your sports car for a “slower” model. “Slow” often also means "safer."
A good argument then...
No doubt friends, work colleagues and family will notice your new lifestyle choices. So it's a good idea to be prepared for such discussions with the appropriate arguments.
Long walks and a speech-to-text app like Otter.ai can help. (no affiliation)
You need a strong “why” for your new self.
And only you can decide what that looks like.
How to Stay Consistent
Live more consciously. Do things more slowly. Giving your body more attention and care. These things will quickly become your new lifestyle. Your freshness, radiance, and energy will magically attract others. Like-minded people will soon ask you for advice and want to connect with you more closely.
Take advantage of such opportunities and organize your free time accordingly. Joint hikes, trips to unknown parts of your country, and good food enrich your life and cement friendships.
Your action plan
The path to my “slow life” was anything but straightforward. But every small change has positive effects. And over time, they build on each other. The result is an ever-increasing progressive curve. Towards a much more conscious life.
Slow is good for you, your family, and the environment. Enjoy it!
By the way, my scale shows a 2, so it's already very, very slow. Just before enlightenment, so to speak... :-)
PS: There are still countless techniques and possibilities that you can use for your future slow life. If you want to know more about them, upgrade your subscription now.
To your slow but intense life,
Daniel
🏡The FARMISH Mindset 🏡
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I'm on board with most of what you said. Let's talk about morning rituals. I consider morning time, my time.
I get up well before I need to leave the house, and SLOWLY take care of my body. This is slow living.
20 minutes of yoga, 10 minute meditation, 20 minutes workout. Then I meander to work and arrive slightly early.
As opposed to leaping out of bed and sprinting to get to work, which one is slower?
Hello Daniel. You might know of the song, Life in the Fast Lane by the Eagles? That was me.
And one day it came for the Piper to be paid just as it was with you. Not the exact same scenario, but physical and mental health were definitely involved.
I was given many chances to change until it was life or death. I chose LIFE 🌞
I'm not going to say it was easy because it wasn't. Reading through your article, it reminded me of all the changes that I had to make in my life as well.
I agree the basics like good quality clean food, adequate sleep and movement/exercise are nonnegotiable and the best place to start.
As the clock continues to tick and life goes on, I look back and see how truly blessed I am now.
Sounds like you are too!
Thank you for writing this article to educate others that may be entangled in that same web 🕸️