At some point after the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown in England, I found myself reflecting that I was not quite the person I wanted to be. I needed to care more for the environment, nature and not depend on material possessions. This post is my short reflection on the concept of Slow Living.
Why did I start "Slow Living"?
I rarely had any energy left whilst trying to fill the day with endless lists in an attempt to validate my time. I frequently found myself in debt (overdrawn by nearly half of my salary, kidding aside), purchasing clothes and things I did not need, whilst feeling like I have nothing to wear and all the time looking to improve my home and the surroundings with better more expensive stuff.
But STUFF is all it was, and none of it made me content or at peace... not consistently anyway...
Until I came across the concept of slow and minimalist living.
What is Slow Living?
The beauty of Slow Living, in my opinion, is that it doesn’t have a strict definition. It will mean something different from one individual to another.
To me, at its core, slow living means taking on a mindful approach to all aspects of life, doing everything with consideration, at your own pace, irrespective of society, pressures or your surroundings. Slow living is about creating time, space and energy for the things that matter most to us in life.
My favourite resources
I genuinely believe that there is no set aesthetic, clear way of life or formula. I found what works for me through much research and perusing how others are making slow living work for them. Through trial and error, I picked the concepts which aligned with me the most as well as created my own.
So in true minimalist style, I included only my absolute favourite books, videos and accounts on this topic - those I reach for again and again:
Books & Articles
A Life Less Throwaway: The Lost Art of Buying for Life by Tara Button
The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking
Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki
https://bemorewithless.com/archives/ (articles, podcasts, books & courses) by Courtney Carver
TV , YouTube & Instagram
Podcasts
https://deliciouslyella.com/podcast/ - all of it, every topic, every single one helped me achieve slow living
How did I incorporate Slow Living into my day to day life?
I studied a lot. I wrote down the kind of person I aspire to be, and my core values.
Having some clarity of the destination really helped me, but it felt important to realise that my priority should be the journey and the process instead.
I started with household stuff, which took me on an expensive path of seeking out more sustainable and eco friendly products. This was perhaps the biggest hiccup during my learning because once again I focused on that STUFF.
But after some time, with a lot of continued learning, I managed to recalibrate and stopped allowing the material things and mindless purchasing to define me as a person.
I unsubscribed from all celebrities and businesses whose accounts did not align with my values and changes. And... instead sought out only those accounts which aligned with my values and inspired a new way of being.
In my opinion, Slow Living at its core is not about where you shop or what you buy. It’s not about how much screen time you limit yourself to. It’s about doing things consciously and at your own pace. It’s about noticing the beauty around you, and making every day a joy with the resources you have. It’s about buying what you need without over-consuming or wasting.
And just like that, overtime, I started to truly need less and live within my means, finding riches in the most ordinary places - a glass of water on a hot day, a swim in the lake with my friends, or spying out butterflies. And this kind of being, is the biggest freedom I’ve felt for some time.
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