5 Easy Ways To Slow Living
The older I get the more seriously I’m taking my daily routines, habits, and health. Wellness doesn’t appear overnight and it’ll never come without putting in the work to achieve it. One major aspect of feeling my best is living a slower, more intentional life, and focusing on the things that truly matter.
Slow living has been something I’ve been working towards for years, but 2023 is about creating those daily habits that reap results. Living a slower paced life doesn’t just mean not going out on the weekends. It means doing the activities that bring you joy, finding ways to bring peace to each day, and creating an environment that allows you to recharge and breathe.
Below I’m sharing 5 of my favorite ways to achieve that Slow Living Lifestyle and a few resources to educate you further. Would love to hear any of your favorite slow living habits, in the comments!
1. Make Your Personal Space Feel Like An Escape
This step can take a lot of time and energy, but it’s such an important one. Our homes should feel like an escape from the world and instead, they often become neglected energy suckers. Keeping an organized and clean home takes real effort and planning, but it doesn’t need to require much monetary investment.
While getting the Pinterest-perfect home can be something you work towards, starting with a clean slate that is free from clutter will make all the difference in your well-being. It’s amazing how an organized closet can start your day off right or how spending an evening creating a donate pile will free up space in your mind.
When you’re ready to move on to the “pretty progress” (thank you XO, MaCenna) portion of making your home feel like an escape, you can do so on a budget and with intention. Focus on one room at a time, with an itemized list of what you’d like to bring in. Rather than shopping for “new” items, browse Facebook Marketplace or your local thrift shop. It’s amazing how beautiful and unique you can make a space with a little creativity and TLC. Many of our home decor and furniture pieces are thrifted and they bring me joy each time I see them!
We moved into this home last July, and since then I’ve spent some sort of time every day making this home feel like a place of peace. Whether it was cleaning, organizing, or finding the perfect living room rug on Facebook Marketplace—we can now say that coming home is like a breath of fresh air.
2. Decorate With Plants
Bringing live plants into a home can truly transform a space and bring purpose to your day. The need to properly care for each plant in its own unique way teaches us to do that with the people in our lives. No two plants are the same, just as we aren’t. Having something to look after teaches us empathy and responsibility. Plus, living plants breathe fresh air and life into a space, bringing the peace of nature indoors.
Artificial plants can work just as well to add color and movement to your decor, if you are in a situation that doesn’t lend itself to live plants. Check Facebook Marketplace and your local thrift shop to find a deal on faux greenery as buying new can be quite an investment! But there are also so many types of live plants to choose from, there is sure to be one that fits your lifestyle, budget, and lighting situation.
For some expert advice, I recommend a few different resources—
The Growing Joy Podcast: A podcast dedicated to all things plants! Learn and grow with Maria, each week and grab her book for the time in between episodes.
Happy Happy Houseplant: A one-stop shop to fix all your house plant woes. Mandi is an expert who also offers some of the best products for happy plants.
Soultech LED Growlights: Finally a fix for those who don’t get enough natural light for live plants, that isn’t an eye sore! These are pricey, but worth it if you can afford or save for it.
The Urban Jungle: A plant shop that ships! (Coming Soon) This shop, soon to be located in St George, Utah, is a labor of love for its founders and I personally can’t wait to order a few special additions to our space.
Also, please don’t judge my poor monstera too much. I’ve recently learned how to properly care for that poor plant and it will soon look much better.
3. Breathe In Fresh Air
I know that it is currently Winter in the northern hemisphere, and we’ve all got our heaters on, but here me out… Opening up the windows to let in some fresh air will change the feeling in your home! I know its common to suffer from Vitamin D deficiencies during the Winter, but I kind of also think the same could be said for oxygen. (This is just my opinion, and its not at all backed by science.) You don’t need to do this every day, but maybe once a week, for ten minutes, open up a few windows, let in a cross breeze, and fill your home with some crisp, fresh, oxygen.
Of course there are other easy ways to get some fresh oxygen pumping through your lungs during the Winter, and here are a few of my favorite:
Go for a 30 minute walk through your favorite park
Get an essential oil diffuser running with some lemon and lavendar
Sit on your porch/patio and journal for 15 minutes, just like you would in the Summertime
4. Build Healthy, Daily Habits
In 2023 I am really focusing on my daily habits. From taking my vitamins to scheduling doctor appointments, the little things add up to build a healthy lifestyle, and that is what I’m truly striving for.
I used Canva to create a free, downloadable habit tracker that you can use to create healthy habits! While I don’t refer to this daily, having somewhere (whether it’s your notes app, a sticky on your bathroom mirror, or a daily planner) that I can refer back to, to make sure I’m on track and not missing anything, is very helpful!
A few of the things I’ve put in the different sections on this tracker are:
Drink a Large Glass of Water (morning routine)
Move For 30 Minutes Per Day (health + wellness)
Spend Quality Time With Steve (self care + wellbeing)
5 Minute Pickup Around The House (evening routine)
There are so many ways you can create healthy, daily habits, and hopefully this sparked some ideas and inspirations to get you going.
5. Create Moments Of Peace
Whether its drinking your morning green juice while watching the birds outside, taking a walk during your lunch break, or sitting in silence for a few minutes before getting out of your car; find ways that you can bring moments of peace into your daily life. It doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming, but could just be the thing that gets you through the day.
A few years ago I took a teacher training course for Kundalini Yoga. During this course I learned the importance of the breath and how just a few minutes a day can rest and recenter us. It doesn’t take long and if all you have is your office chair and some headphones to tune out the world around you, then this simple exercise will work perfectly.
To be honest I’m pretty out of practice and had to call on my sister, Chablis, to help me refresh my memory. But I’m looking forward to adding it back into my daily routine.
Begin by making sure you are sitting comfortably (as comfortably as possible) so that you can remain still.
Take 3 minutes to deepen the breath, working up to a 20:20:20 ratio—twenty seconds to breathe in, twenty to hold, and twenty seconds to slowly release the breath. You can count to 20 silently, for each step, or use a meditation timer. Repeat for 3 minutes. Work up to being able to spend more time on holding the breath without strain, and a longer exhale.
Focus on the breath coming from the diaphragm rather than the nose, breathing deeper and longer.
Set a timer and repeat this exercise 2-3 times per day.
If you can’t set a timer or set aside the 3 minutes for this exercise, then work towards finding any time you can throughout your day to focus on taking a few deep breaths.
For more, easy to follow, daily breathing exercises, check out @annabelsglasses on Tik Tok
I hope this blog post was informative and inspirational in helping you achieve a slower paced and more intentional lifestyle. Slow Living is all about the little things, so always strive to make time for them throughout your day.