Slow living is a lifestyle that has started to be talked about and loved lately. The previous lifestyle which was super busy, all in a hurry because of the demands of an overload of work which often resulted in stress, is starting to be left behind.
Instead, many try to adopt a slower lifestyle with full awareness and appreciation at every stage.
And, it turns out that this style is much in demand, instead of the previous pattern of life which was too busy and too rushed.
A site says, the term “slow” comes from the slow food movement which started in Italy in the 1980s which opposed fast food culture and the big food industry.
The concept of “slow” then developed into a broader movement covering various aspects of life, such as fashion, travel, work and consumption.
So, how do you enjoy the slow living lifestyle in your daily life?
As mentioned above, this one lifestyle is meant to end the habit of being in a hurry or rushing through everyday life.
If we have such a tendency, now is the time to go a little slower, slower. slowly.
The slow living lifestyle is by no means synonymous with a lazy lifestyle. Nor is it an apathetic lifestyle towards progress. Nor do you allow yourself to delay the completion of work.
In contrast, this one lifestyle places more emphasis on the meaning of the process of action or activity, from which there are a number of benefits that can be drawn. Let’s peel the details.
First, better work results. Why can slow living lead someone to a better quality of work? Because, when working on it we will focus on just one job.
Mind, energy, and all available resources are not distracted by other things. Like the focus of a solar lens that can burn paper, efforts to focus on one job will guarantee much better results.
Second, apply the priority scale. Maybe we have more than one job or task that must be completed.
To do it, set a priority scale first. Which work is more important and urgent, that is prioritized. As for the others, we can work on them afterwards.
You have to do it gradually, little by little. Breaking down work into smaller parts will make us feel lighter in doing it.
It’s different if we see a job as a big job that is burdensome and can fade the spirit. It’s much easier to do a large job by breaking it down into smaller parts.
Like writing a three hundred page book, we can write 3-4 pages in installments every day, for example. Gradually it will become a book as thick as we hope.
Third, do mindfulness. That is, live every thing you are doing. Avoid letting your mind wander while doing something. Focus on the job, enjoy the process with full awareness.
With mindfulness, we become truly aware of what we are doing in the moment and focus on it for better results.
Every second, every minute, and every hour that we pass, we really feel, live and enjoy the process.
Fourth, reduce multitasking. Many people take pride in multitasking. They are proud of how much they are able to do many things in a certain unit of time.
In fact, multitasking is not not allowed or not good, it’s just that this pattern leads the owner to stress and even depression because he is filled with various jobs that are piling up and without pause. Like a person running a long distance without resting at all.
Multitaskers who at first might feel great and proud of their achievements, but will eventually give up.
They then realize that they have limitations, both physically and in mental ability. Boredom, fatigue, stress and even occupational diseases will be reasons to reduce workload.
Fifth, dare to say “no”. Sometimes other people, especially superiors or leaders give us excessive work.
We also end up feeling it becomes a burdensome burden, especially if it happens repeatedly. It doesn’t matter, even on holidays, Saturdays and Sundays, we are given work that must be completed immediately.
How to deal with this? Are we going to take everything for granted? May also.
However, if we feel so burdened that we don’t have time for me time or for family, we have the right to say “no” to our boss or boss. Of course refuse politely without offending him.
Sixth, have time for yourself and your family. In addition to special me time to indulge ourselves once in a while, we also need time to spend with our family. Family is an important part of our life and makes life more meaningful.
Therefore, we need to make time for our families. For example by relaxing for a while at home, visiting the beach, or going to tourist attractions, and so on. The goal is to enjoy each other’s company and strengthen one another’s relationships.
Seventh, enjoy silence. As spiritual human beings, we also need inner peace. So, take time to calm down. Sitting quietly and meditating is one option. Inhale and exhale with full awareness.
We may also direct meditation to a spiritual step, for example while closing our eyes giving thanks or thanking God for His gifts to us and our families.
By sitting quietly and meditating, our spirit will feel calmer and happier.
Eighth, avoid stress. Lots of work, heavy and piling up, even neglected, often brings unbearable stress.
At this point, maybe we suddenly ask ourselves: what am I really looking for in this life?!
Stress that occurs continuously is not impossible to manifest into various diseases, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and the like.
Therefore, a slow living lifestyle may be an option. With this lifestyle we can enjoy life more, work quality, and stay healthy and fit in doing everything.
