When the pandemic imploded, many of us sat home and relearned how to rest. We had no choice but to slow down.
We got more sleep, learned how to be one with nature, and got a chance to enjoy our hobbies.
For me, it was a glorious time.
The streets were practically empty. Nowhere for people to rush to, no time constraints, and significant schedules. The air was cleaner. We had more time for our loved ones and more time to read.
Some extroverts are cringing just thinking about it; however, this introvert wouldn’t mind another round of lockdowns, minus the scarcity mindset, life-threatening virus, and long lines to get virtually anything.
I think we all want to slow down in some ways. We want to spend more time with our kids and not feel rushed to get from one place to another. But unfortunately, many of us don’t know how or where to start.
This year I am focusing on returning to a slower lifestyle by establishing some slower routines and rhythms. Here are ten ways I am slowing down.
Reading Slowly
As a child, I spent many days with my strict grandparents, who pushed us outside to play or shushed us while they watched their stories. I was always bored but found great joy in reading.
I stopped reading for fun during my college years but reignited my love for reading after the birth of my children.
Over the last couple of years, I have gamified my reading. I have made reading a task that I must do to meet my end-of-year goals. Unfortunately, this looked like completing books I did not want to finish, rushing through books I enjoyed, and picking books based on size instead of current interests.
I have ditched that nonsense for slow mornings with a book. I read whatever feels right and am not hell-bent on meeting a goal. The point is to enjoy reading without forcing it.
Journaling
Journaling has anchored me. It is the thing that holds me down when I’m thinking flighty thoughts.
When I am mad and unsure why, my journaling is there to catch my anger and help me sort out my feelings.
Most importantly, journaling has slowed down my mind and created a slow rhythm for the day.
I don’t need prompts or structure, just an empty notebook with lines and open space. And as you’ve guessed, this is a slow process. I have to be intentional by sitting down and putting pen to paper. Sometimes I began neatly with cursive handwriting my third-grade teacher would be proud of. Then I end with such a loopy mess that rereading can be hard.
I love when it lands like this. I then know I have taken time to pour my heart out.
Walking
My mother and grandmother are walkers. They can outwalk anyone, and it is their primary choice for exercise.
Until recently, I never understood the pull. If I am working out, I want to get in and out. I want to get my heart pounding and be done.
I have found that there is so much more to walking than the exercise itself.
The fresh air flowing through my lungs, the sun beaming on my face and arms, the little dogs pulling and tugging to give me a sniff. I see neighbors, wild animals, and birds depending on where I am walking. And let’s be honest. I’m also enjoying the fact that I am burning some extra calories in the process.
The fresh air, sights, sounds, and repetition of steps all bring a slow inviting experience. Some would call it meditative.
I agree. Some of my best ideas have materialized while walking.
If you are ready to slow down, start with a 15 min walk. I think it’s the easiest way to embrace slow living while taking time for yourself.
Sabbath
The Sabbath is a commandment that says we rest one day at the end of the work week. If you follow a religious community’s guidelines, it’s probably on a Saturday or Sunday. Anything considered to be strenuous work is off-limits. Instead, it’s a day to be intentional about spending time with God and family while giving yourself time to replenish from the week.
Because much of my work is done from home, I keep my Sabbath simple. I clean the dishes, make my bed, and make sure everyone is fed. Other than that, I float through the day like a feather. I make no commitments except to myself. I keep my rest, time with God, and specific hobbies at the forefront, ensuring I refill my cup as needed.
This is the ultimate form of slowing down. If you want to go deep in slow living, incorporate a sabbath day at the end of your week. Do so with minimum technology and maximum connection between you, your faith, and your family.
Decluttering
Decluttering is a tool that helped me slow down. When I removed excess from my life, I evaluated my spending habits and needs differently. When I noticed how my attachment to things took away from the energy I wanted to place into my family, I knew I had to let go more efficiently.
When I was free of the weight of things and commitments, I began to find more time for myself and my family.
I began decluttering last year, thinking it would take me less than a year to empty my home. This was not true. Decluttering is one of the hardest things I have ever done. Moving past your attachment to the thing, to finding a home for the thing, to offloading the thing, is a huge task. Especially true when you have “lots” of things.
I haven’t completely minimized my home; although I am making a big push toward it in the near future, I have a ways to go. But with the clutter, I have removed from my home and schedule, I have noticed I have space to breathe and maximize my time with my family instead of caring for the clutter.
Most of what we do in life is based on someone else’s idea of what we should do. Start by removing the excess in your home and car, then head toward your schedules and commitments. You can slow down and meet the need when you create space for yourself and what you want.
Prayer
Prayer, like journaling, has to be an intentional process. I’ll admit I struggle with this one.
It’s one of those things you know you need to do but find yourself moving so quickly from one thing to the next that it gets overlooked.
Prayer is like an investment.
You put in the time upfront and reap the benefits of the relationship in a way that is special and spiritual to you.
With the hustle and bustle of the day, I forget to set aside these intimate moments. While there is nothing wrong with sending a quick prayer up, slowing down to spend time in prayer is essential for me.
Savoring Food
In our fast-paced country, we eat on the go, not slowing down to thoroughly chew or savor our food. We multi-task while we eat, i.e., playing games on the phone (guilty), reading (guilty again), or watching the latest youtube video (equally guilty).
There is something to be said for sitting down at a table, savoring slow meals with friends and family, and swapping extraordinary stories. If you want to slow down, make it a mission to savor your food.
One Thing At a Time
I have been known in my day to be a multi-tasker, and I will still catch myself trying to read a book with the TV playing in the background. Yet, I must remind myself, “It’s one or the other.”
Multi-tasking at one point was one of those words you added to a resume to make yourself look good or a thing that moms with children at home would do effortlessly but hate all the same.
When you are multi-tasking, you are not doing anyone any favors. Especially yourself. Giving yourself ample time to focus on the thing in front of you allows you to be present and in the moment of whatever is happening. Then, when you are ready to give something or someone else your attention, stop the other thing to pick up the new item.
This is becoming easier for me. I want to be wholly present in everything I do, leading me to do one thing at a time.
Wake Up Earlier
I was hesitant to write Wake up Earlier. The assumption is that people wake up earlier to get more done, to squeeze out a little more work in their lives; however, waking earlier is good for me. It allows me to navigate through my morning without the hustle and bustle.
Waking up earlier allows me to move a bit slower. Giving myself 15 minutes can be the difference between running through my morning and slowly transitioning from one task to another. As a mom with younger children, we both need this extra time.
My youngest can’t stand to be rushed, and because of this, I give him an additional fifteen minutes of transitioning time. It makes for a slower, calmer start to our day.
Being Present
Everything I have ever read about being present talks about Meditation. So I can’t talk about being present without discussing meditation.
Meditation is not new to many of us, but most of us struggle with the concept. There are books, articles, and even apps centered on Meditation and how to meditate, yet it can still be daunting.
The Mayo Clinic describes meditation as a type of mind-body complementary medicine. Meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation and a tranquil mind. During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress.
Being present isn’t just meditation, though. It’s not rushing through life at a pace that makes us say, “Where has this month gone?” It’s noticing flowers blooming near your home or your tween’s sighing when she’s had a rough day. It’s savoring the food you’ve eaten, putting down the camera to enjoy the moment, and filling up on tiny kisses while knowing they won’t last forever.
Not to be a buzz kill, but what is life if it is not a series of slow precious moments waiting on us to experience them?
Slow down and meet the moment head-on.