What is the art of slow living?
Nowadays we have a fast and super busy life. We are always thinking about other tasks with one in our hand. There is always an expectation from us to accomplish all our tasks as quickly as possible. Adhering to a set of rules and trying to complete our tasks as efficiently as possible has become our main agenda. There is a different definition of slow living for everyone. Some define it as a simple living others define it as living away from standard rules.
Slow living does not mean being lazy or moving slowly in life. It means to find purpose in your life and live every moment. It means deciding your pace of life.
There are a few ways through which we can achieve the same.
Let us discuss events from our common day-to-day life before discussing them.
When we begin our day, we rush to complete our essential tasks like taking a shower, brushing our teeth, and using the toilet. We prepare our breakfast along with lunch in a hurry. Sometimes we are unable to eat even our breakfast.
Traveling to our workplace has become like a race. Often people can be seen rushing in the metros, rickshaws, cars, etc. No wonder which train they are going to miss.
On roads, we have traffic jams where people try to overtake each other to reach their destination quickly. One can see people rushing at metro stations, moving up and down stairs, rushing to capture seats, catching metros, etc.
We desire faster results for every work we do like we all want to lose weight quickly, have a big house for us, have a luxurious car, want to get that promotion, become rich, and whatnot. We have simply forgotten to slow down and are always running and chasing. In our hustle and bustle, we have forgotten to live in the moment and experience little things around us.
What are some ways to practice the art of slow living?
It is time for Rush from THE RUSH. Let us find out some ways by which we can achieve the practice of slow living in our day-to-day lives no matter in whatever way we define it.
Digital Detox
Disconnect or take a break from social media/ phone/TV/ computer at regular intervals. This can help in removing insecurities from the mind related to what others are doing or how fast they are going.
Try to spend time offline in nature and your surroundings. Spend your time in physical activities, hobbies, or anything more engaging.
Simplify
Keep your requirements minimum and simple.
For example, if you want to buy a car for your family, choose one as per your requirements not thinking about how good and luxurious will it look to others. Think twice about buying new clothes, bags, footwear, etc. for any event.
Look for homemade simple food instead of ordering it or going for expensive treats. Try minimizing your wants. This can reduce a lot of unnecessary stress and rush from your life.
Minimize your consumption and be mindful of that.
Organize
Organize your wardrobe, kitchen, stationary, office desk, home, etc. Try removing unwanted items and practice decluttering.
Practice reduction and reuse. Also, try to organize your wallet, or handbag from time to time.
It will give you a sense of organization which will ultimately keep you calm.
Body Movement
Try indulging in some physical activity daily. Be it going for a walk, climbing regular stairs, any exercise, or playing any kind of sport. This helps in shifting your attention from daily rushing chores and gives you some time for yourself.
Deep breathing and meditation
Take some time and practice deep breathing. It helps you to think about how important our breath is.
We are too busy to think about the fact that we can do our work because of the breaths we take. One at a time, we are often forgetful of it.
Also, spending a little time of the day or week in meditation helps in developing self-consciousness. One gets mindful of their life.
Start by giving 15-30 minutes of your day or a week to these things and you will feel the change.
Connect and spend time in meaningful relationships
Nowadays we are so indulged in our lives that we often forget about our people.
Ping that friend of yours whom you feel connected with, and get to know about his/her whereabouts. Meet.
Spend more time with your family or your loved ones. Eat together, cook together. This builds up a firm foundation with your loved ones.
Doing a lot of work won’t let you go anywhere.
Get some time for yourself
Spare some hours in a week to introspect. Write down your wants and needs. You will get to know what is important and what is not.
Take some time in a week, be it a little one, to do some creative stuff. Give some time to your hobby and your interests. This will not only break the monotony, but it will also give you a break from the hustle and bustle of life.
Live in the moment
Remember, you are out there on that vacation amidst the beautiful nature, surrounded by mountains, rivers, and lush green trees. But you are so busy capturing everything in your cameras, creating videos, and updating everything on social media that you forget to feel that place and get that freshness.
Or, you are in a beautiful temple, with beautiful deities blessing you. Few people engage in chanting, doing kirtan, and pooja while most of us are busy capturing all this on our phones, making videos, going live, or updating everything.
You are on a dinner date with your family, but your mind is always thinking about what work is pending and what you are going to do the next day.
We all have forgotten to live in the moment and appreciate what we have in our lives. Practicing gratitude is important. Also, try to live in the moment to the fullest. Try to be fully present in the moment where you are instead of unnecessarily capturing it and thinking about anything else.
Try following these simple steps and you will yourself see changes in your life. We can live a more important and peaceful life. We can give meaning to our life.
