8 Tips for Slowing Life Down

I’ve realised recently that I’m obsessed by being busy. I find it almost impossible to sit still. I can’t quite work out if it’s the modern world of consuming information constantly or just my personality. If I’m honest? I think it’s just the way I am.

Red Tractor Beef and Lamb got in touch with me recently and challenged me to have a ‘Slow Living Day’. The Slow Movement was born in Italy in 1986 as a reaction to fast food. The approach favours quality over speed and reminds us that sometimes, doing less, more slowly is better.

There’s a video below of how we got on. Spolier: I found it almost impossible, but very interesting!

Following on from that day, here are some tips and ideas that I’m planning to try and implement in our everyday life.

8 Tips for Slowing Life Down

1. Actually book in time to slow down. This is a total foreign concept to me, but I think I really need to book in more time to have occasional ‘slow weekends’ where we just lounge around, eat delicious food and rest. Otherwise, life always takes over, every time.
2. Try doing one thing at a time. Whether it’s the washing, making dinner or work. I’m going to focus on doing one thing at a time and doing it well rather than rushing about not really noticing half of what I’m doing!
3. I’m going to simplify. I’ve already started this and it’s changed my life already. If you read my post about my Bullet Journal, you’ll see that that has organised me more which has allowed me to get rid of heaps of extra bits and bobs of paper and lists.
4. Downsize all of the ‘stuff’. I find it hard to slow down when I’m constantly tidying or surrounded by SO many things. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I’ve been going full on with the Marie Kondo method for clearing the house. It’s helping me to slow down and really think about things we want in the home.
5. Cook slowly. I’m always short on time for dinner in the evenings. Remembering to take some time to prepare something (like the delicious Pepperpot Stew from Simply Beef and Lamb mentioned in the video) in the morning, so that it’s ready for dinner, would really help a change of pace in the evenings.
6. Do less. I’m planning on just saying no sometimes. Sounds simple doesn’t it? I find it really quite a challenge! I need to realise that I just can’t do everything.
7. Extend ‘slow living’ to our diet. Focus more on eating good quality, well produced food (like Red Tractor meat!) rather than buying without thinking. I hope that concentrating on eating better will also result in eating less of the processed stuff.
8. Smile! Sometimes we are so busy being busy and rushing around, I think I forget to just sit for a moment and smile about all of the happy moments happening around me. I’m going to remember that 5 minutes to have a moment of joy, definitely isn’t wasted.

How do you slow down? What’s your idea of ‘slow living’? Is it just me that finds it so hard to have a rest?!

Disclosure: This is a post sponsored by Red Tractor Beef and Lamb but as always, all opinions are my own and this is a subject very close to my heart at the moment!

Keep in touch on Facebook ¦
Chit chat on Twitter ¦
Circle with me on Google+ ¦
Pinning like my life depends on it Pinterest

The post 8 Tips for Slowing Life Down appeared first on Taming Twins.