At this time of year, we’re all starting to go into ourselves. Christmas is over, a new year is beginning, and January is notably a very bleak month here in the UK and in Europe. It’s cold, the light is minimal, and we then start to think of our lives and how we can improve it.
One movement that has helped with this is slow living.
© 2023 Cher Tavernier-Nicholas
What is Slow Living?
Slow living consists of slowing down your pace in life, carving out the time to care for yourself and do the things you enjoy, whether that’s reading a good book, gardening, cooking, or going for a leisurely walk. It’s taking the time to appreciate what you already have, slowing down the pace of your life so that it feels calmer, especially when the world feels chaotic around you.
How Slow Living Can Help You
Living slowly helps you to make healthier and better choices; it reminds us to breathe, helps to reduce stress and can help to strengthen relationships with our nearest and dearest. It encourages us to be mindful and live in the moment, which is easy to forget to do in our busy lives.
I live in the middle of London. Everyone is always in a rush, angry and agitated, which inevitably rubs off on me. There’s always hustle and bustle, and I have noticed over this past year how this has really affected me, so I am slowing things right down.
I have already started to slow down; for example, when I’m out shopping or taking walks, I like to take in the world around me. I like people-watching, to take in nature (the little that we have in our area), and savour the little pleasantries of life, whether it be two squirrels playing or a happy couple walking by, and doing the things that make me happy and bring me joy.
© 2024 Cher Tavernier-Nicholas
How You Can Live A Slow Life
Aside from just slowing things right down, here are a few other things you can do to bring more happiness and calm into your life:
1. Declutter your home
Yes, I know, this doesn’t seem like a relaxing task! But, if you clear your home of all the things that you no longer use or that no longer bring you joy, you will find that your mind will be clearer, leaving your home to be a happier, welcoming sanctuary.
2. Learn to breathe deeply
Breathing deeply and being conscious of our breath helps us to feel more grounded, reduces stress and can help us to feel calm. It helps us to reconnect with ourselves, being mindful and living in the present.
3. Enjoy your daily activities
It’s easy to go about our daily tasks without truly thinking about what we’re actually doing. We become almost robotic! Take the time to slow it down and enjoy what you are doing, whether that’s gardening, reading or even cooking. For example, where possible, cook traditionally, taking the time to enjoy the experience of preparing your food and – most importantly! – eating your food. Take your time to savour each morsel of food, enjoy the smell of the food and all the textures.
© 2022 Cher Tavernier-Nicholas
An Italian friend once said to me ‘You people in the UK live to work. But us Italians work to live.’
This is so very true. We need to de-condition ourselves and not become slaves to work, or place our self-worth on our levels of productivity.
My favourite Italian phrase is ‘Dolce far niente’ – the sweetness of doing nothing. We must remember to strive to live a happy, healthy and fulfilling life.
