Slow Living - What is it?
Updated: Apr 26
I recently took a trip to Italy. As an American coming to this country, I was really excited to see how other people lived more than seeing the typical tourist attractions.
Since I have been on a journey of being more mindful about things I use in my house I was so intrigued on how life is in a different country. In America the consumerism is just wild to me. So many things to buy and have, and so much junk, plastic, trash etc.
One of the things that was interesting to me, as we stayed in AirBnBs, is the lack of clothes dryers. So when we were there and washing our clothes, we hung everything to dry. I loved this idea of not using the dryer. It got me thinking about all the other areas in my life I am just rushing through, what can I slow down with? What can I eliminate from my life. They always say kids do better with less toys, so why not take that same advice and apply it to everything?
We, as Americans, just live with to much crap. So why not be mindful on the things I purchase and use. When I got back home I was feeling so revved up to start slowing down. Really taking in moments, every moment and living life the way I feel life should be lived. I see a lot on social media that people are working their way towards living a more slower intentional life. Less 'hustle' and more of just enjoying life and all the magical moments that get missed.
So what exactly is slow living? Well, it's intentional living. That is how I would describe it. Mindful living.
Here are a few things to help you on your journey of living a more intentional lifestyle...
Reduce the Clutter - this is going to be a slow process. Take things little by little, space by space. Me personally, it took me months to go through this and I am still not complete.
Meal Planning - this will help in grocery bills and reducing the over purchasing and wasting of food. This has been a big one for me. I was WAY over buying on food.
Over-Commitments - I know all these kids in like a million activities. I am choosing not to do that to my son. He has school and then playtime with friends. If he wants to try something we give it a whirl, but I am just not going to put him in all this outside activities. He needs time to just be a kid, play, imagine and all that! Same goes for me, I am learning to slow down my commitments so I can feel more present with my son and the healing I am doing.
Change is very hard. It takes alot of effort to completely reimagine and shift your life. It's okay to take this slowly and intentionally. Start with just these few things and soon you will be living a more stress-less lifestyle and it will be sooo worth it!