Conscious Living - Part 1. What is Slow Living?
What do you think of when you hear the phrase ‘slow living’?
I know that I spent a long time thinking it was something that would only be possible if I moved to the country and started floating around in linen dresses, sleeping in linen sheets and generally spent my days wafting around my garden picking roses. My food would all be freshly prepared, and most definitely home grown, foraged or locally sourced.
But what happens when you kill all your houseplants within days, don’t actually have a garden, and are still living in a small flat, deep in the concrete jungle?
The concept of slow living that is all about walking barefoot in the woods, just isn’t realistic for most of us. Instead, I like to think more about living consciously, rather than slowly. Because true slow living is about physically slowing down the pace of your everyday life, making time for the things that matter to you and treasuring the small moments.
So, a slow and conscious lifestyle is personal. It’s about prioritising the things in life that you value the most and savouring those moments. Life is often fast-paced and busy, but we can consciously choose to treasure the parts of each day that we enjoy the most: reading a book late at night when your children are tucked up in bed, lingering over meals and making them more of an occasion, tending to the herbs that grow on your windowsill.
One of the cornerstones of slow living – and probably the hardest one to achieve – is a better work/life balance. We tend to put work before living, but the goal is to find a more harmonious balance. Not everyone has the luxury to choose when and where they work, but we can make small changes to maximise the time we do have. Could we wake up half an hour earlier and make the most of our morning, taking time over that first coffee; could we leave our desks at lunch time to head outdoors, or get off the bus one stop early and walk home, taking advantage of the long summer evenings? Those of us who are newly working from home have already gained time that we would previously have spent commuting, so how can we make the most of it?
Consider what holds the most importance to you and begin to create your own personal version of a slow and conscious lifestyle. For me, this means making time for taking photographs, reading books, enjoying long walks, and seeking out new places to go wild swimming. Even when work piles up or I’m feeling stressed, I block off time for these activities and never rush over them. They make me feel calmer, less stressed, and more creative - more than justifying the time I give to them.
Try writing a list of your favourite moments in your everyday life, considering when you feel most at peace and in the moment, and begin making the time to enjoy these activities without any rush. This could be as simple as going for a long walk on your own once a week, waking early for a short yoga practice, or gathering your family around the dinner table together in the evening, with no distractions.
As we begin to slow down and enjoy a more conscious lifestyle, we naturally become more aware of the seasons. Living more consciously, you find yourself also living more seasonally, making the most of what your surroundings have to offer. You become more in tune with nature, and Summer is the perfect season to start living a more conscious life, with its warm weather and abundance of growth.
How to slow down in Summer
1. Slow down your meals
The slow movement began with food, so it makes sense to start your slow journey with your meals. Take time to enjoy the process of cooking and eating, rather than relying on convenience foods, microwaves, takeaways and speeding through mealtimes. You could combine cooking fresh meals with listening to a podcast or spending time with a partner or friend, enjoying your time spent cooking and eating together. Centre your days around your meals, building anticipation for each mealtime. Eat al fresco, cook for friends, linger at the dinner table and enjoy long conversations as they do in Europe. If you feel too rushed to take your time over every meal, choose one meal per day and savour it.
Read more about how Carlo Petrini founded the Slow Food movement in Italy in the 1980’s.
https://www.slowfood.com/about-us/our-history/
2. Wild swimming
There’s no better way to cool off on a hot summer’s day than submerging yourself in a body of water. Whether you’re dipping in a river or enjoying a rejuvenating swim in the sea, a wild swim is the perfect way to slow down. Pay attention to the way the light bounces off the surface of the water, admire the natural landscape that surrounds you and listen to the sounds of birds singing or waves lapping against the shore. Rather than rushing through laps in a public pool, wild swimming gives you the freedom to enjoy the water at your own pace. If you aren’t a strong swimmer, you can choose to simply lie back and float, enjoying the tranquillity.
New to wild swimming? The Outdoor Swimming Society offer plenty of safety tips and advice.
https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/category/survive/
3. Tend to your garden
Watching your garden grow can be an incredibly fulfilling way to spend the spring and summer months, whether you have a small balcony or a sprawling lawn. Gardening allows you to be closer to nature, to get your hands dirty and surround yourself with flowers and plants. There’s a peacefulness to be found in the tending, as you gently sow seeds, water the soil and remove weeds. Take the time to walk through your garden and care for your plants each day, reaping the rewards when your flowers flourish and bountiful vegetables fill your table.
This RHS article is really interesting, discussing the many reasons why gardening makes us feel better.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/health-and-wellbeing/articles/why-gardening-makes-us-feel-better
4. Evening strolls
It may feel too hot during the day, and you could be too tied up with work for a long walk, so take advantage of the longer evenings and take yourself for a stroll after dinner. This could mean a walk in the woods on your own, walking to a friend’s house, strolling around a local park or nature reserve, or heading to the hills for an evening hike. Don’t rush or worry about the time, just enjoy the gentle exercise and breathe in the fresh air. Walking outdoors in nature helps us to calm down, relieves stress, sparks creativity, and encourages the release of happy hormones – setting you up for a great night’s sleep and a productive day to follow.
We loved reading this article on Stylist discussing how morning walks benefit your mental health.
5. Spend more time outdoors
Make the most of the warm weather and spend as much time outdoors as possible, while also encouraging a slower pace of life. Dine outdoors for every meal when the sun is shining, stepping away from your laptop and eating surrounded by nature. Bookend your workdays with time outside, enjoying exercise such as walking, running, cycling, or playing sports - or simply sitting in your garden with a book. Even if you’re only sitting in the park enjoying a glass of wine with a friend, you can watch the world go by, be aware of the sensation of sitting on the grass, and enjoy the feeling of the sun on your skin.
Don’t forget to listen to the sounds of nature when you’re outdoors – this article from Craghoppers suggests five ways to open your ears to nature.
https://www.craghoppers.com/community/5-benefits-to-listening-to-nature-sounds/
This article was written in partnership with Emma Lavelle. You can read more of her work here.