“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”
– Mohandas K. Gandhi
For some time, our notion of a successful life is that of a busy one. People who are always on the go are seen as more productive and efficient. Although being busy is indeed a way to attain our dreams and goals, pushing yourself outside of your limits can lead to more problems than benefits. The demands of living in a fast-paced society can cause mental and physical exhaustion which can then ultimately lower the quality of your life. To escape the stress that comes from a hectic lifestyle, some people are promoting the adoption of slow living which encourages people to embrace a laidback lifestyle. This philosophy teaches that avoiding the demands of a chaotic lifestyle is a way towards happiness and wellness.
However, slow living is prone to be misunderstood. One misconception is that it only means spending idle and meaningless days. Unfortunately, this kind of thinking can take away the beauty of leading this kind of life. If you wish to experience its benefits, start by erasing the myths and misconceptions surrounding it; some of which are discussed below:
Slow living is not choosing to lag behind.
The modern lifestyle encourages people to be competitive and stay ahead. For this reason, many may view slow living as a decision to stay behind. This is a wrong concept suggesting that a slow lifestyle is fit for those lacking ambition. But this lifestyle is not about doing things as slowly as possible. Slow living simply frees people from the stress of a frenzied life. Instead of always rushing, slow living chooses to focus on a single task than working on multiple projects at once. This approach can result in producing excellent work that can pave the way for self-growth and development.
Slow living is not being lazy.
If you want to adopt a slow lifestyle because you are thinking of idle days ahead, think again. Slow living is not for the lazy. It does not promote doing less or nothing at all. Rather, it means letting go of doing too many things at a time so you can allot time for rest and relaxation. Living slowly means loving yourself more because you know that self-care is a prerequisite for achieving great things. It means considering your needs along with the tasks you need to do. Slow living may even be a way to be more productive which is contradictory to being lazy.
Slow living does not reject modern technology.
Slow living advises people to unplug, causing many to assume that it hates modern technology. However, the philosophy of slow living is merely a reminder to not allow the online world to take over our lives. People following a slow lifestyle stay informed about the latest in technology but are careful about spending too much time online so they would not neglect more important things in life.
We all want our days to be easy and carefree so it may be a good idea to consider a slow lifestyle. However, if you wish to gain the rewards of a slow lifestyle, it is important to understand the true essence behind this idea.
