The Slow Secret of Life
“Slow down in your pursuit of happiness and it’s more likely to catch up with you.” Ernie J Zelinski
Welcome to Generosity of Spirit, a space to share my slow and gentle living philosophy - alongside my love of plant based living and food. Please do subscribe to join me on this gentle journey of discovery.
“Slow down in your pursuit of happiness and it’s more likely to catch up with you.” - Ernie J Zelinski
I am not exaggerating when I say, slow living has completely transformed my life in the last year. It has opened up a space for me in the world, in which I feel safe and understood. I find myself on my own path – not the one I was placed on by others, not the one I thought I should be following – but my own.
If you’re constantly trying to keep up with other people’s expectations or getting caught up in the business of life, it’s easy to miss out on life’s simple pleasures. But when you’re able to slow down and live at your own pace, it becomes much easier for you to enjoy life’s little joys.
I have suffered with anxiety for many years, and I often find the world overwhelming. I’ve gone through periods of unease, uncertainty, and downright fear. I lost myself completely to anxiety a few years ago, and on the road to recovery I slowly started opening myself up, as I embarked on a one-woman mission to sooth my spirit and heal. I tried everything; meditation, journaling, herbal supplements, walking, movement, art, breathwork, crystal healing – on and on I went. I forced myself back out into the world, telling myself that I had to try and be ‘normal’. I couldn’t retreat into myself, and just exist in my safe place (my house!) – I had to live.
Of course, I did get back out there – but I felt like I was walking in treacle. I still didn’t understand my place in this busy, loud and sometimes scary world.
I first came across slow living around a year ago, when doing some research for one of my blogs at Generosity of Spirit – the more I read and explored, the more I realised it could be everything I had been looking for as a philosophy and foundation for how I wanted to live my life.
Slow living has given me the opportunity to disconnect from the noise of the world and find a deeper sense of contentment. It helps me live more mindfully, and connect more meaningfully and authentically with who I really am.
What is slow living?
Slow living is a way of life that is centred around taking your time and enjoying the moment.
It’s about slowing down your pace and appreciating the little things in life.
Slow living is all about disconnecting from the world and reconnecting with yourself.
It’s about finding a healthy balance between doing and being.
It’s about taking the time to enjoy life’s simple pleasures and living at your own pace.
Where do you start?
“For fast acting relief, try slowing down.” Lily Tomlin
Taking a slower approach to how you live your life is fundamental when it comes to living a meaningful and fulfilling life. Start with a few changes every day, and little by little a shift in mindset will welcome a new slow philosophy that could open up the key to a happy and content life.
The Slow Secret of Life
Slow down the pace
Learn how to be more present
Take some time for yourself
Be more observant of the world around you
Spend time doing what matters most
The Four Principles of Slow Living
The world of slow living is focused on four main principles: mindfulness, gratitude, simplicity, and generosity.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness means being in the present moment and practicing self-awareness. It’s about purposely disconnecting from distractions and tuning into your own thoughts and emotions.
Gratitude
This is all about consciously appreciating what you have in your life. It’s a practice that focuses on being thankful for the things, people, and events around you.
Simplicity
Simplicity is about focusing on what’s truly important to you and cutting back on things that are unnecessary. It’s about getting rid of the excess in your life so you can make room for the good stuff.
Generosity
The final principle is all about sharing yourself with other people. Through slow living, it’s possible to connect and share yourself with others in a meaningful way.
“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.”
— Eddie Cantor
Slow living tips for beginners:
Morning Routine
I wrote last week about my desire to create more structure around my daily practices, (Cultivating a slow daily practice) and I really think the best place to start is at the beginning of the day. Spending a few minutes before your day begins to truly make time for yourself and set the pace for the rest of the day is powerful. Read a few pages of a book, meditate, move your body, journal or simply sit quietly with your first cup of tea. Start small and see how creating a morning routine that really speaks to you, can have a positive impact on your day.
Connect with Nature
I have recently leaned into my connection with the natural world and its restorative energy. Connecting with nature has so many benefits. I live and work in the city, so for me being in nature isn’t as easy as I would like – but even a city has many opportunities to reconnect with the natural world. I make sure to get outside most days, helped by my daily walking commute to and from work. I find the pockets of green, or spend time by the river which happily flows through the city. I’ve tried to slow right down, to really notice the small things and give myself time to appreciate the natural beauty right under my nose.
Slow down - literally
We are all guilty of wishing time away, and doing a bit of clock watching every now and again. One of the most important keystones of slow living is embracing it as a mindset, just as much as a lifestyle. Listen to your body and tune into what your spirit needs. Allow yourself to take the time to enjoy every part of your day, often this can mean literally slowing down. Things will take as long as they take, accepting this is such a powerful shift.
De-clutter
Busy lifestyles often equal cluttered homes so why not take the opportunity to simplify your living space? I have been embracing minimalism and have found it has really calmed my space and decluttered my mind. Re-organise your space so it suits a slower pace of life, truly think about what you need and spend some time thinking about how you curate your living space. This has so much influence over slow living. I love my small home, and I enjoy creating a peaceful space that lets my spirit relax and gives my mind the opportunity to be curious. It can be as easy as lighting a candle or burning some incense, lowering the lights and putting on some gentle music. It gives your body and mind the signal that you are safe and it is ok to slow down.
Slow Cooking
I love cooking and for me slow living and slow cooking go hand in hand. As I talked about in my recent newsletter (Slow Living and Cooking). To start with why not try focusing on eating mindfully… Cook your favourite meal, a meal you have made many times and can cook on auto pilot. Then, eat it at a table and remove any distractions - focus entirely on the physical sensations of eating your meal. Think about how different it feels, and how much more nourished you feel afterwards.
Saying No
You don’t need to change every aspect of your life to go slow but eliminating activities that you have no interest in is a good place to start. As I live with anxiety, I am very used to creating a safe place for myself, and I think very carefully about what I say yes to in terms of a social gathering or activity. Just make sure you are moving with intention and not out of obligation. Embrace the joy of missing out and make time for those things you love.
Embrace your time alone
I am an introvert, so I do enjoy spending time alone, in fact it is a vital part of my self-care. I simply couldn’t ‘do life’ without a significant amount of time on my own and cultivating a very calm and quiet pace. I think there is real benefit in embracing your time alone, and making sure you allow for some quiet. This can be through meditation, a walk with no headphones or just having a quiet bubble bath. We are constantly bombarded with noise, screens, people, and our minds are constantly flooded with stimulation. Learning to slow down is about getting to know yourself and giving your mind peace.
Allow for ‘free time’
We schedule in everything… work, appointments, social gatherings, exercise, food shops but do you ever schedule free time? Block out time in your week for nothing. It is all too easy to notice a free afternoon in a busy schedule and quickly rush to fill it. Leave your free time free and see what happens. Make this non-negotiable – and let your day evolve organically and see how your day unfolds.
If you are new to slow living, I really hope this has helped introduce you to some of the foundations of slow living, and perhaps piqued your interest. If you already practice slow living, please share some of the ways you harness the philosophy!
Until next time, have a slow and gentle week.
I enjoyed reading this. Connecting with nature is my favorite way of slow living.
I love how you structured this, thank you so much! I've been committed to invoking comfort this year and was happy to see that much of what I've been doing is already in line with slow living. After reading your article, though, one thing I'm going to add is decluttering.