Picture: OhhCouture

Our culture is a culture of being busy. How are you? “Good, but really busy”. How many times have you heard that? Busy has become an unhealthy habit of many; we rush from one thing to another and are filling our to-do list as much as possible. As if we were wasting our time by not doing something productive. As if the word “slow” was bad.

But in fact, by slowing down, we could be able to accomplish more. Living on a slower pace helps to feel calm, in control and focused, meaning our productivity can be increased because we can act with intention. By slowing down a little, you’ll start feeling lighter and have more energy for the things that matter.

Maybe that by being so busy, some precious moments of life go by being unnoticed. Because it’s summer and there is so much to enjoy, we challenge you to try integrating these small changes through the week to help you press pause. We hope that some of them can work for you!

20 Ways to Slow Down

1-Have breakfast without checking your phone/watching TV/reading a book.

2-Connect with people around you: try to have more eye contact and really listen to them; without thinking about what you’ll say next.

3-Limit time spent on things that suck your time. They are different for everyone, but for the majority of people we can say that social media is a big one. Allow a specific moment of the day and amount of time spent on those time suckers. For example, choose to scroll through Instagram only once a day, for only 10 minutes after dinner.

4-Spend a day without your phone. Switch it off for a full day during the weekend.

5-Go for a walk outside, without your phone or music. Just listen to the sounds around you.

6-Eat one meal a day outside. If the weather allows it!

7-Set a timer and single task. Instead of being constantly distracted because you have too much to do, set a timer and focus on one task for that amount of time. Completely devote yourself to it. Then, set a timer for the next task and so on. Have a look at the Pomodoro method.

8-Plan your day and allow time to do nothing.

9-Actually read the book you’ve been wanting to read for a while. With a hot beverage.

10-Sit outside to watch the sunrise or sunset.

11-Move your body. Allow some time for yoga/walking/whatever you like to do. Try allocating at least 15 minutes for that.

12-Dance to your favorite song.

13-Declutter your living space.

14-Meal Plan

15-Practice self-care. Take a bath, paint your nails, do something you truly enjoy.

16-Get enough sleep.

17-While driving or in public transport, just sit there and observe. No book, no music, no podcast. Just look around without all the other unnecessary distractions.

18-Create something. Sketch, paint, bake a cake, write in your journal.

19-Have a candlelit night and dinner.

20-Save 10 minutes of your day to stay in silence. Meditate, read or breathe.

We hope that you embark on this challenge with us and try to implement some of these tips. We could all benefit from slowing down and being a little more mindful!