Embrace Slow Living In Your Daily Routine
"anything worth doing is worth doing slowly" Mae West
This voiceover is an audio version of my Slow Sunday Letter below. It is unedited, so may have some stutters, imperfections, and background noise. I hope you enjoy listening to it anyway!
Welcome to Generosity of Spirit, a space to share my slow and gentle living philosophy, alongside my love of books and reading. Please do subscribe to join me on this gentle journey of discovery and receive my Slow Sunday Letter straight into your inbox.
Welcome back to another Slow Sunday Letter! I hope you have had a slow and gentle week.
This week’s Slow Sunday Letter is all about building a daily routine that works for you, inspired by slow and gentle living. Using slow living principles as a guide, I want you to think about how you can curate a daily routine that makes room for your creativity and productivity, whilst also encouraging your physical and mental health, and boosting calm and peace in your every day.
So grab a cuppa, get cosy and let’s transform your daily routine today!
Slow Living In Your Daily Routine
A daily practice is any activity that becomes part of your regular routine, and encourages you to pause, to go inward and slow down.
I love being curious, and by nature I think humans are always searching for new ideas, new ways of doing things, new opportunities, and new ways of finding ourselves and reconnecting with our spirit. But, despite our enthusiasm we often get overwhelmed and even practices or activities you have enjoyed can often fall by the wayside.
A daily practice offers the chance to truly consider how you spend your time, and where you place focus.
When I do spend time planning and thinking about how I divide up my days and weeks, I always move with more ease, and a greater sense of motivation and intention. It helps me live slowly and gently, by creating balance and intention which helps in all aspects of my life.
Slow Living Planner on notion, available on her Etsy store has been invaluable to me. I have felt so inspired by it – and it has helped me really see the benefit of creating intention and planning. Just a little bit of time using my Slow Planner every week, has helped me become more organised and more productive, but more importantly- more creative, happier and more at ease. I have had my planner for a while so I have adapted and added to Molly’s, so mine will look a little different to her original template!
If you want to have a look at Molly’s notion planners - follow the link below she also has other planners available include reading and writing (which I also have!).
Embrace Slow Living In Your Daily Routine
Reclaim Your Time
It will come as no surprise that my notion planner has really helped me organise my time and schedule, which has made me so much more productive and motivated. But building a daily routine that works for you, isn’t just about productivity… it is also an opportunity to reclaim your time and direct your attention and focus with intention.
Life is busy and unpredictable, and our energy levels go up and down. Often we will create plans and then struggle to stick to them as time goes on. Our routines then become packed with sometimes unnecessary commitments and responsibilities and little by little, our focus is pulled away from what truly matters.
Have you ever felt tired and uninspired - and then wasted time scrolling on your phone, only to look up and realise thirty minutes or more has passed? Or accepted an invitation to something you didn’t really want to, at the determinant of your mental health? Have you pushed your own projects to the wayside in favour of others?
We need to let go of the distractions, limit our digital consumption, reduce our commitments, and reclaim some of our time back. It doesn’t even have to be a lot - it is always quality over quantity. You will be surprised by how much calmer, happier and more present you feel when you hurry and worry less, and how much more time you have to fill how you wish!
Find Balance
We all know that any work in the wellness arena, is work and takes time. Finding balance is no different. It is a practice, and the more attention we give to it, and the more we do it, the better and more instinctual it will become.
An imbalanced life feels like a constant battle. There will be times when you lose balance, and that is inevitable. The point is we can always find it again, and start swinging our pendulum in time once again. Little adjustments, attention and self-compassion will aid you if you stumble. Tuning into your inner-being and what truly matters to you will always help you return to your centre, and there you will uncover your balance.
To read more -
Make Time For Hobbies
Hobbies play a crucial role in our relaxation and well-being. They provide an escape from the demands of daily life and allow us to engage in activities that bring us joy, and a sense of accomplishment. Hobbies can help us unwind, reduce stress and improve our mental health. They provide a creative outlet, boost our self-esteem and allow us to explore new interests and passions. Engaging in hobbies also promotes a healthy work-life balance and helps us recharge and rejuvenate.
The best slow living hobbies are ones that are done intentionally. Instead of going through the motions to get something done, you’re focused on the process of the actual doing.
Be Present
For some, sparing a few minutes of their day to incorporate slow living may not even seem possible. Between family, children, work, running a house, having a social life, regularly exercising, fulfilling our passions and hobbies and still having a enough time for ourselves, it is so easy to get overwhelmed and stuck in a really negative head space.
But when you truly focus on the present moment, that moment expands. The very act of slowing down, gives you the opportunity for more and you actually gain time. Slowing down brings with it the invitation to clear our minds, be free of distractions, focus and become more efficient taking care of what is truly important in the present moment. In taking back the control, and hurrying less our overwhelm is extinguished. We can lead with calm, which in turn increases our productivity, creativity and overall wellbeing.
Digital Detox
Moments of calm, periods of less, holidays, free time, quieter days or down time are so valuable - and actually more common than you think. These moments, encourage us to slow down, rest, restore, and spend our time in a more meaningful way. All too often, though, many of us tend to waste this precious time, often getting caught up by distractions, bogged down in procrastination and very often swamped by digital gadgets.
Do you feel overwhelmed by your digital life? Engulfed by notifications and emails? Do you feel constantly available and in demand? Is your smart phone always within arms reach? Do you need to rethink your boundaries with your devices?
The way we feel about our devices and digital consumption can really impact our lives, how we feel and our mood. If we can streamline our digital use, we could gain more control and intention over how we spend our time. We could create space in our lives for day dreaming, creative ideas, our own thoughts and real connections to those around us.
To read more -
I really hope this week’s Slow Sunday Letter helps inspire you to reclaim your time, and create a daily routine that works for you. I truly believe with a little bit of thought, planning and intention you can transform your daily routines, and as a result how you feel inside and out.
I would really love to know your thoughts and if any of this resonated with you - if you feel able, please do share in the comments.
Thank you for being here,
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Love this post Emily. As always, it resonates fully. I love Molly's planner too and use it frequently. I also find her blog planner super helpful 😊
Really enjoyed listening to this. There's some really excellent advice here. I'm definitely in need of a digital detox. Thank You 😊