what slow living means to me
I kind of created a slow life, without knowing it was something that people did with intention. I think that’s the best way, because had I heard the buzzword “slow living” I’d have thought: lazy, boring, wasting your life. Which could not be further from the truth. My life is slow in that I am gentle with myself and listen to myself but it’s also full, rich and fun.
what slow living isn’t…
Slow living does not mean wasting away your life. It doesn’t mean doing nothing, bed rotting, avoiding people, not doing or trying new things. It isn’t a way to avoid real life or to stagnate. If this is what you’re doing, I recommend looking for some resources to help. You shouldn’t feel afraid or stuck or in a rut.
what slow living can be…
Everyone will have their own ideas but, to me, slow living is about being intentional. I only have so many hours in the day and so many days in my life and I want to use them in the best way possible.
Absolutely, some days that means listening to my body and my mind and calling it a sofa day. But more often than not it means making time for friends and reaching out to arrange dinners, drinks or a day at the flea market. It means a day spent cleaning my home top to bottom, or planning the next home improvement project. It can mean going on a 10km hike alone. It can mean joining a networking event where I don’t know anyone, feeling sick at the thought but knowing it’ll help me professionally. It means travelling, organising and clearing out my wardrobe, a day of charity shop hunting, meal planning and batch cooking.
a normal week day for me looks like:
Morning coffee with milk heated on the hob.
A breakfast that I’ve pre-prepped like healthy sheet pan pancakes, or yogurt and honey
8 hours of work, but not forgetting to stop for a home cooked (premade) lunch, cups of tea and a walk around the block when I need it
A gym session where I continually push myself. I focus on strength training and have an online PT who creates my workouts. I go hard. Minimum 3x per week, or a long walk on days where I don’t feel up to the gym.
A little reading. I’ve slacked on this recently but I set a goal to read 12 books in 2025 and smashed it. So I’m trying to at least match that again this year, but hopefully double it.
I might have a shower in the morning or a long, dimly light bubbly bath in the night.
I do my own turndown service an hour before bed. I dim the lights, close the curtains, turn on the heated blanket, remove the extra cushions from the bed and get a glass of water ready.
There will no doubt be some sofa, TV time where I’ll watch some youtube videos about personal finance, or fitness or just a slow ASMR video.
Dinner is usually batch cooked in advance so I’ll heat up some delicious, healthy, home cooked meal without needing to think much or cook anything from scratch. Think soups, stews, pasta dishes.
a classic slow weekend…
My weekends vary wildly one week to the next. During winter I’ve been treating myself to Saturday nights in a cheap 5* hotel. I’ve stayed at a bunch and written and photographed detailed reviews. I’ve enjoyed their room service, indoor pools and gym spaces. I’ve tried their cocktails and explored the local town. I’ve gone to friends birthday parties or to fun events where I don’t know anyone. I’ve gone for long walks, spent the day visiting charity shops or a morning of flea market exploration. Often I’ve travelled. I live in a different country to my family so I go back to see them frequently and I’m in an LDR so go to see him whenever I can. But if I had to map out the basics:
Morning coffee with milk heated on the hob.
A home cooked breakfast, like a fryup or porridge.
I’ll clean my home, most weeks it’s a basic clean but once a month I do a deeper clean by moving furniture, cleaning windows, pulling out the books and dusting behind.
If it’s been a particularly action packed week or my Friday gym session was particularly gruelling, it’s possible I spend the weekend at home.
Or I might meal plan for the following week. I’ll see whats in the cupboards, find recipes online and build a shopping list and meal plan. Then I’ll head out to get the groceries and spend a few hours cooking for the week ahead.