9 Ways to incorporate slow living principles into your life

This post is about how you can incorporate slow-living principles into your day to live a more meaningful and purposeful life.

Slow living is all about living intentionally – deciding who and what you want to spend your time on instead of letting others decide for you. Often, we get so wrapped up in the busyness of life that we forget to take a step back and reflect on what it is we truly want. We come to the end of a long day, week, month, or even year, feeling discouraged and discontent. But unable to pinpoint why.

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If you are tired of being pushed around by the chaotic world around you, then these slow-living principles will help guide you to a more intentional life.

Incorporate Slow Living principles by Prioritizing people who matter

Imagine lying on your deathbed (depressing, I know). What do you wish you had done more of? For most people, the answer isn’t building up their career more, buying more things, or even going on more vacations. Instead, almost everyone says they wish they had spent more time with family and close friends. They wish they had prioritized the people who matter.

Instead of waiting until the end of your life to realize that people matter, how would your life look different if you started making people a priority today? Take a look at your life and how you spend your time. How many hours do you spend scrolling on social media, wishing you could be the mom who does those fun crafts, be the wife who plans those fun dates, or be the daughter who has weekly brunches with her mom? Although social media tends to give us a false impression of reality, it can also encourage us to take steps to being that very person. This week, see how you can prioritize people who matter to you by spending real, quality time with them.

Sit and watch your kids play for 10 minutes

One of the easiest (and hardest, if I’m being honest) ways to prioritize people is to sit with your kids. Turn off all distractions and enjoy joining in with them as they play. Do not take over their creative imagination, but immerse yourself in their world. See how long you can last before you move on to your next task.

Plan a weekly at-home coffee date with your husband

In a busy and expensive world, planning elaborate dates isn’t always possible. Whether your limitation be money, time, or both, there are plenty of ways to practice the principles of slow living by taking time to sit down with your spouse over a cup of home-brewed coffee. You can try waking up 20 minutes earlier to chat before you head off to work. Or make time on the weekend to reflect on each other’s weeks. As you practice making people a priority, you’ll be surprised at the different ideas that pop up.

Incorporate slow living principles by Building a community

Prioritizing individual relationships with people who matter is extremely important. But it isn’t everything. To truly slow down and experience the joy that people can bring, you need to immerse yourself in community.

This may sound daunting to some. I get it – I’m an introvert who was always the “shy kid” growing up. You couldn’t force me to go to an event with more than two people, and I could have entire conversations by just answering: “yup, nope,” and “I don’t know.”

However, since implementing different slow-living principles and practices into my life, I have realized the value of community. Now, one of my favorite parts of the week is inviting as many people as possible to our Sunday “Chicken and Waffles.” Not only is this a great and meaningful time for my husband and I, but we also have found that our friends request it if we happen to miss a week.

Start small

Building a community doesn’t have to be a big production. In fact, that would defeat the purpose of slowing down. Instead of trying to plan something completely new for you, see if there is a regular rhythm in your life that you can add community to. My husband and I had originally started doing chicken and waffles as an easy after-church meal. Once we discussed it with a few friends, we realized that they would love to join in! Because it was something that we already did, it made sense to expand it a bit so we could facilitate a growing community.

How to slow down — What do you prioritize?

Incorporate slow living principles by Taking time for gratitude

We live in a fast-paced, consumeristic world. Brands are always trying to sell you the next best thing, and influencers are more than happy to promote it. Instagram is full of curated lives that are often unrealistic. Facebook has post after post of discontented individuals looking for a safe place to rant.

In this chaotic world, take time to practice gratitude. Instead of longing for more, focus on being thankful for what you already have. Keeping a gratitude journal is a great way to intentionally work this slow living principle into your daily life.

Don’t wait for special occasions

How many items do you have that you wait to break out until the “right” occasion? Do you have special dishes that can only be used a couple of times a year? Or maybe you have some dresses that feel too fancy for everyday use. Instead of pushing your best to the back of a cupboard or closet, bring it out and use it daily. Often, when we wait, the right time never comes. So enjoy the things that you’ve told yourself are just for special occasions. Don’t hesitate. Realize that everyday is worthy of a little more joy.

Incorporate slow living principles by doing a No buy month

If you struggle with figuring out how to slow down, especially when it comes to finances, consider a no-buy month. This is about as simple as it sounds! Take a look at your monthly income, pay all of your bills and allocate funds to necessities such as food. Then, see how long you can last without buying anything that isn’t a necessity. You may be surprised at how much you were consuming just for the sake of consumerism.

Incorporate slow living principles by taking a look at your schedule

If you are feeling overwhelmed in your daily life, take a look at your schedule. Chances are, there are things on there that aren’t adding value to you. When planning out your schedule, it may be helpful to first make a list of the things that are important to your that you want to prioritize, as well as the things that you must do. Allocate how much time per week you will spend doing those things, and then try to fill in your schedule around that. This is an especially helpful method if you find yourself burnt-out by the commitments you have made. Stopping to take intentional inventory of where your time is spent is one of the most beneficial slow living principles.

Prioritize the things that matter

Often, we let our calendar tell us what we must spend time on, rather than us telling our calendar. If that is where you find yourself, try to cancel or move anything on your schedule over the next couple of weeks that is not necessary and brings no benefit or enjoyment to your life.

Once you have lived through a week with your unhurried lifestyle, ask yourself what else you can change on your calendar to make slow living more possible.

Incorporate slow living principles by Creating rhythms in your life

If you spend any amount of time researching slow living practices, you will find that many people choose to have intentional rhythms built into their lives. This can take on many forms, but usually consists of daily, weekly, and monthly rhythms.

Daily Rhythms

Often, people choose to live intentionally but implement some form of a daily rhythm in their lives. This can help you center your day by allowing you to slow down and enjoy the moment. These rituals look different for everyone, but here are a few examples to help you get started with your own rhythms.

A morning ritual

Think of what a peaceful morning would look like for you. Perhaps it is waking up 30 minutes earlier so you can read a book and enjoy a cup of coffee before moving on with your day. Maybe it is incorporating some house chores before the kids wake up so you have more time to focus on them. Or, possibly, you would enjoy adding exercise to your day. No matter what activity you find peace-giving, this principle can aid you in your slow living journey.

Midday break

If you notice that you tend to get tired or overwhelmed in the middle of the day, that could be a sign that you need to implement a midday break. Setting a 30-minute timer to do a life-giving activity may be the key to reinvigorating your whole day.

Evening ritual

The end of the evening tends to be a time-waster that does not add value. Most people find themselves vegging out in front of the T.V., only to find themselves going to bed more tired than when they sat down. To build an evening ritual, start by giving yourself a consistent bedtime. Then, unwind from the day an hour before you’ve decided to be in bed. Turn off all screens and read a book, do a puzzle, pick up a hobby, or write in a journal. Taking this time before bed will help you to wake up each morning feeling more refreshed.

Weekly rhythms

There are many weekly rhythms you can start to help you slow down. Consider doing a Sunday reset where you reflect on your past week and plan out your upcoming one. You can also set aside a few hours to ensure you get to do something you love each week.

Monthly Rhythms

If you find joy in opening up a new planner each year and starting the new year with fresh goals, consider implementing a monthly rhythm. Use this time to reflect on the last month and set attainable goals for the upcoming season. Plan any activities that add value to your life and schedule those in. Make time for the people you love.

Incorporate slow living principles by Doing a digital detox

One of the best slow-living principles everyone should embrace is a digital detox. This can look different for each individual, and may even look different for you depending on the season of life you are in. But no matter the form your digital detox takes, you will experience the many benefits of slow-living.

If you are feeling overwhelmed in your daily life, consider removing all social media apps from your phone or setting a time limit for them. The average American spends around three hours a day staring at their screen, mindlessly scrolling through other people’s curated lives. Instead of living vicariously through everyone else, give yourself the time to do the things you dream of by removing the temptation of scrolling.

Another way to practice a digital detox is to limit passive forms of entertainment. This includes Netflix and other streaming services such as YouTube. Take a moment to consider how many hours each week you spend watching various shows. If you were given that amount of time added on to your week, what would you choose to do with it?

Over the next week, make time for the people and hobbies that matter to you by cutting down on your screen time.

Don’t be afraid of leisure time

if you aren’t using your phone to endlessly scroll and fill time, you’ll notice that you are bored and have a lot of downtime. Don’t be afraid of this leisure time. Rather, embrace it. Take time to discover new hobbies or remember old ones. Allow yourself to do those “useless” activities that you enjoy and add value to your life.

Incorporate slow living principles by Learning how to tidy

If you are tired of constantly cleaning your home without it ever feeling clean, learn how to tidy. Cleaning involves sweeping, wiping down counters, and doing the dishes. While this is important for making your home feel livable, tidying is the key to having it feel homey. Tidying means finding a designated place for everything in your home and decluttering anything that does not add value to your day. It also involves keeping floors and surfaces clear of clutter to help you achieve a clean feel – even if you haven’t cleaned. Take time each day to spend a few minutes tidying and decluttering. You will be amazed at the difference it makes in your home.

Not everyday needs to be slow

The person who live a slow, intentional life knows that there are seasons for everything. This means that not every moment of every day will be “slow”. In fact, there may be some months where you need to prioritize picking up the pace, abandoning some of your rhythms, and getting things done. But when that season is over, don’t be afraid to jump right back into slow living practices in the way that serves you best.

What slow-living principles will you implement in your life this week to live more intentionally?

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