Relearn the art of slow living
Life can whiz by at such a blistering pace, sometimes I find it difficult to keep up.
Sometimes I feel there are never enough hours in a day. During these times my coffee consumption increases and my feeling of overwhelm reaches hysteria. I find it tempting to try and cram as much as possible into each day. This however colours my life with the chaos of trouble. A never ending series of events cry for my attention. Each of which ruthlessly gobble up my precious time. I am caught in a juggling act between family obligations, work responsibilities, exercise and heaven forbid some form of rest and relaxation. Tomorrow the same pattern will repeat itself.
Today, ‘How are you?’ is usually met with the response: “Busy. Sooo, busy.” with a clear emphasis on the word busy. These sweeping declarations of busyness are worn like a badge of honor. Yet, amidst all this busyness I began to question what is actually getting done? How is this busyness really affecting me?
At this time I was working in a corporate environment and was oft found using the phrase ‘I’m so busy’ and was stressed to the hilt. Eventually I reached a point of burn out. I was 28. Internally I repeatedly said to myself ‘I don’t want a stressful life’ yet I found it difficult to disentangle myself this kind of life. Public perception dictated that this was the way things were. However, I had a persistent niggling feeling that there had to be more to life than simply pushing paperwork around and feeling old before my time.
Fast forward two years later and I find myself in the Land Down Under living an authentically slow life. On the outside my life perhaps does not look successful. However, on the inside I feel my life is more successful. It is drastically different to the life I left behind. The transition was not seamless. I will admit that sometimes I still struggle and at times speed is necessary.
Here is what I have learned during the transition between the two life speeds.
Create a priority list
I am still a fan of lists and priority lists are life changing. Endless to do lists are generated from unclear priorities and when I am not clear on what I need to focus on. Priority lists have one main objective for the day. In the words of entrepreneur Tim Ferriss “If I’m ‘busy’ it is because I’ve made choices that put me in that position.” Living slowly begins with detracting things from my life that are unnecessary. One place to begin is my to do list.
Derek Sivers, a philosophizing programmer and entrepreneur, also believes busy equals out of control. “Every time people contact me, they say, ‘look, I know you must be incredibly busy…’ and I always think, ‘No, I’m not. I’m in control of my time, I’m on top of it. Busy, to me, seems to imply out of control.’’
It is ok to do nothing
It took me a long time to accept that it is ok to do nothing. I felt guilty at first which led to stress. When there is no scaffolding to my day, it loses all of its shape. I constantly felt the need that I should be doing something.
I took a step back and began to question how would I like to fill my days?
I decided that I needed to learn how to do nothing. It is difficult to slow down my thought processes so I can just sit and simply be.
I am an avid runner and sometimes during my runs I will take five or ten minutes to sit, ponder and let my thoughts percolate.
Impose a set of rules when it comes to the internet and social media
The internet while an incredibly useful tool can also be detrimental to slow living.
I learned that I can create my own set of rules when it comes to using the internet. For example set a time limit for how long I can use the internet or utilize apps which allow me limited access during the day.
This is helpful in terms of productivity and also limits the overwhelm of the sheer amount of information available.
Make time to read
I have found that when I am overworked or stressed I read less and less. Yet the act of reading radically slows down the rhythm of my thinking and enables me to relax. It can be difficult to find large chucks of uninterrupted time for reading. It is best to start small. Commit to reading twenty pages per day when time allows. This can then be extended or shortened depending on time.
Practice the art of saying no
It is difficult to say no. It is far easier to say yes. However if I say yes to everything then my whole day will be filled with commitments. Some of which I probably don’t even want to do.
Take a cue from Derek Sivers, a philosophizing programmer and entrepreneur, who uses this one rule to prevent becoming over-committed or too scattered.
If you’re not saying “HELL YEAH!” about something, say “no”.
When deciding whether to do something, if I feel anything less than “Wow! That would be amazing! Absolutely! Hell yeah!” — then say “no.”
When I am busy. I have simply taken on too much. Saying yes to less is the way out.
Go forth and travel slowly
I really revel in slow travel and know I am not suited to travelling on tours which impose strict itineraries. I like to wander at my own pace and drink in all the details of a new environment.
I love to immerse myself in new cultures and find the best way to do this is to stay in a location for a while and live with locals or work locally.
I love to travel to foot or bike when possible and adore how Robert M. Pirsig describes this mode of travel in his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
“In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.
On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”
I will always choose to be an active observer over a passive observer.
Make time to talk to people
In the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values Robert M. Pirsig makes an astute observation
“We’re in such a hurry most of the time we never get much chance to talk. The result is a kind of endless day-to-day shallowness, a monotony that leaves a person wondering years later where all the time went and sorry that it’s all gone.”
People are utterly fascinating. Everyone has a story to tell and it is only when I stop and take the time to talk and listen to people that they get a chance to tell me their story.
If I choose to only talk with my friends or those in my inner circle then my world becomes very small. When I meet new people it exposes me to different cultures and different ways of thinking. I feel energized and refreshed.
I am still learning how to live slowly. Sometimes I need to adjust the speed.
Are you trying to live life at a slower pace? If you have thought or ideas on how to implement a slow pace of life I would love to hear them.
