The Art Of Slow: A Guide To Unhurried Living

At Green Apple Active we love our hustle.  The rush of a fast paced run, or the excitement of making a tight deadline energizes us.  That being said, we also enjoy the slow down quite a bit.  We find in our fast-forward high-speed culture, we  often rush through daily events without really noticing them.  In a world where instant food, speed-dating, accelerated learning and even speed-yoga are on the high-velocity life menu, we barely get a second to breathe. We find ourselves asking, what is all this pointless rushing for?  To get to the end of each day or week as quickly as possible?  It’s this ‘stop-the-world-I-want-to-get-off’ feeling that have us researching an alternative, slower way of living.

 What is Slow Living?  

The Slow Living ideology has its origins in the Slow Food movement which began as a reaction to processed, instant and unethical fast-food.  The principles of Slow now extend to all aspects of life, from travel and work, to parenting, schooling, fashion and design.  Slow living is about fully engaging with experiences.  It’s about living your life instead of racing through it. Slow living doesn’t necessarily mean doing things more slowly; it means taking the right amount of time to do something.  Some activities require speed.  Going for a run can be a ‘Slow’ activity if you give it your full attention.  It’s about enjoying the run, staying aware of what’s around you as you run, and being in the moment.  Slow is simply a state of mind.  

How to get into a Slow state of mind  

Stop trying to fit as much into your day as possible.  Immerse yourself in whatever activity you are engaged in at a certain moment, and aim to perform that task well instead of just quickly.  Resist the urge to mentally go over all the other things you should be doing. Give yourself time to switch off, time to reflect and time to live in the moment.  Realize that in a Slow state of mind, your life can still be packed with rich experiences.  Slow living can be both inspiring and satisfying.  

Ways to put some Slow into your life  

• Wake up 15 minutes earlier and have a more leisurely start to the day.  Sit down with your morning coffee for a few minutes and savor it.

• Plant some seeds.  Perhaps grow herbs for your kitchen or flowers for your windowsill.  This shows how some things simply cannot be rushed.

• Browse in a library for a couple of hours.  Read a book or article then spend 10 minutes just thinking about it.  Let the information sink in.

• Put on a piece of music.  Don’t do anything else while the music is playing.  Just sit or lie down, and listen.

• Cook a meal from scratch.  Give yourself enough time to do it properly.  Buy local, organic and seasonal ingredients.  Invite friends to share your meal.  Make it a relaxed occasion with quality food and good conversation.

• Spend 20 minutes a day doing nothing but daydreaming.

When you start to think Slow you’ll find a myriad daily tasks and activities can be performed in the Slow mindset.  Actively living at a less frantic pace leads you to a more fulfilling, rewarding and energizing life.