Slow living: what it is and what habits this lifestyle raises

Doing things at full speed and wanting to do as many tasks as possible, even being able to do several at the same time, is not always the best way to act and live, since that in the long term this is not sustainable because staying alive for a long time enduring high levels of stress can be very detrimental to the Health.

The "slow living" movement consists of a philosophy of life, based on the way of living paying full attention to the present moment, focusing the senses on what what is being done or contemplated at that precise moment, thus trying to enjoy each moment and dedicate to each task the time necessary to do it good.

In this article we will see what the slow living movement consists of and what are the different ways of putting it into practice in everyday life.

• Related article: "10 psychologically healthy daily habits, and how to apply them to your life"

What is the "slow living" movement?

The slow living movement emerged in the 1980s and consists of a philosophy of life based on the way of living paying full attention to the present moment

, focusing the senses on what is being done or contemplated at that precise moment, trying so enjoy every moment and dedicate to each task the time necessary to do it good.

Likewise, this does not mean that following this movement leads to a bad or irresponsible life, since it might seem so. because the word "slow" is often not well seen and could be related to the terms "lazy" or even "idle".

However, in this case the slow living movement does not have negative connotations, but just the opposite. In the times in which we live, in which things move very fast, people often have the feeling that they must rush through life, carrying more things at the same time than they ask to really cover, stretching their effort as much as they can until a moment comes when they reach their limit and their body asks them to stop to recover.

Instead, the slow living movement goes in the opposite direction to that “fast track” in which many people live, without pauses and without dosing the tasks. So those who follow slow living try to do few things and really enjoy them (p. For example, there are 'slow food' restaurants, to eat calmly for 3 hours).

This movement was very successful thanks to various authors who spoke of the benefits of slow living, compared to the chaotic, rushed and anguished way of life that it has. to combine a lot of activities of their ordinary life, thus appearing the slow way of life, where each thing is given its time and time is reserved for each thing. Therefore, instead of doing several things at the same time, less is done, even if they are few, but well done.

People who follow the slow living movement do not pretend to be 100 people at the same time: a nurse, a wonderful mother, a paddle tennis player, swimmer, hiker, among other things, and with this we do not mean that you cannot have hobbies, get along well with work and maternity; however, sometimes it is difficult to carry different facets of life at the same time, so in certain cases it would be advisable to focus on the one you like the most, in terms of hobbies, or know how to dose and also know when it is necessary to rest because the body may not be able to withstand such a high level of stress.

• You may be interested: "6 easy relaxation techniques to combat stress"

Problems and difficulties it raises

Many people find it quite difficult to follow the slow living movement because they are subjected to a fast-paced lifestyle, whereby they live a class of autonomic hyperactivation, so that they have certain risks of experiencing some mental health problems such as stress, anxiety or depression, among others, and this may be due to a real-time war in which they constantly live, fighting against the time we would like to have, and it is also that there are times too full and times too empty.

Today, in the midst of so much day-to-day hustle and bustle, it is difficult for us to get into the mentality of living fully in the present ("when I eat, eat and only eat”, “when I sleep, sleep and only sleep”, “when I study, study and only study” and “when I work, work and only worked"). But what actually happens these days is this: when I'm eating, I think I want to laugh with my friends; when I'm with them, I'm thinking about the work I have to deliver; when I go to bed I think about tomorrow's tasks and when I wake up I think about how well I would be sleeping.

It is not by chance that there is a high percentage of people with anxiety, since nowadays the levels of stress due to the fast-paced lifestyle that takes a large part of the population ends up causing different types of emotional disorders such as anxiety or depression; this may be partly because people who experience stress they try to withstand the pressure for a prolonged period and do not seek help until their body and mind ask for a break. Therefore, it would be important to implement some measures in order to prevent the increase in stress levels.

One of the ways to prevent those types of mental health problems that could end up developing cause of the day-to-day hustle and bustle would be to reduce multitasking, so we don't try to cover 100 Aspects. In other words, instead of wanting to do 10 things at once, choose half or those that we can do satisfactorily, choosing those that we consider that would fulfill us and benefit us most in the long term, truly participating with our whole being in what we we make.

Many times we associate progress with improvement, quantity and wealth, but quality should be related to a smaller number of activities that we enjoy and can make the most of.

• Related article: "The 9 lifestyles of happy people"

How to follow the slow living movement?

The slow living movement can be very beneficial for those who live very busy in their day to day and they need to take a break from their lifestyle so that it doesn't end up causing serious health problems. Health. With this we do not mean that you should be radical when practicing this movement, since there are many situations and many types of jobs that require agility and speed; Nevertheless, you have to know when to stop, when to dose and plan well our day to day so that things don't pile up and we try to do several at the same time.

There are also times when it might be advisable to make a list of priorities and, if necessary, set aside for a while some things that are not essential (eg. For example, if at a certain time I have more work than usual, I have a partner and children with whom I want to enjoy In my free time, I am practicing various types of sports and I am also learning to play the guitar; if I am suffering from high levels of stress, perhaps it would be advisable to put my priorities in order and not practice so many sports at the same time and put some aside for a while).

Besides, the slow living movement can be applied to almost all areas of our lives: in food (slow food), in education, in sex, in leisure, in travel and even at work. On the other hand, the slow living movement is also focused on leading a sustainable lifestyle, trying to reduce the rate of consumption, in a that you only buy what is essential or necessary, use new technologies in a rational way and favor purchases in shops local.

Therefore, following slow living means living calmly, enjoying the good things and giving each thing the attention it really deserves. Healthy living, sustainability and caring for social relationships are also promoted.

• You may be interested: "The 5 best healthy diet apps"

Tips to practice slow living

As we have seen, there are times when it is not possible to put slow living into practice because our work may require us to be quick. However, it can be started at some times of the day, even if they are small, although it would be beneficial allocate a percentage of time to put it into practice, even if it is small, and for this we can follow the following advice:

• Try to be aware of the present moment and do things that are possible more slowly and well done.
• In your free time, take some outdoor getaways and enjoy nature.
• Try to spend enough time calmly with our loved ones.
• Practice mindfulness, yoga, meditation or dedicate a few minutes a day to reflect calmly.
• Decrease the time we spend in front of screens, as they keep us hyperactive all the time.
• Try to use technology only when it makes certain things easier for us (eg. g., work, call a loved one, etc.).
• Establish a limited time for social networks, trying to disconnect from them as much as possible.
• Avoid consumerism, get rid of what we don't need and think about whether we really need something before buying it.
• Put slow food into practice, eating calmly and savoring each bite (similar to mindful eating).
• Try to prepare our food, with fresh products and focused on cooking, without distractions.
• Put our house and our workplace in order, in order to lead a more orderly life.
• Plan the day-to-day tasks so that they do not pile up and we can dedicate the necessary time to them.
• Avoid multitasking.
• Practice 'slow tourism', disconnecting from the mobile and trying to fully enjoy the landscape and the experiences.