3 Ways To Practice Slow Living Without Changing Your Schedule
Are you looking to practice slow living without making drastic changes to your schedule?
Slow living promotes reducing stress by simplifying your to-do list and embracing an overall slower pace of life with mindfulness and attention to the present moment.
Trying these 3 slow living practices can be done in the natural flow of your day and can be easy to implement…
Here are 3 Ways to practice slow living without making big changes in your schedule!
3 Ways To Practice Slow Living Without Changing Your Schedule
1. Practice Morning Gratitude
Morning gratitude can be a life-changing practice if you give it a try.
It’s something so simple, but so powerful because it gives you perspective and uplifts your mood to start your day.
Here are some ways to get started:
- Use a gratitude journal
- Try Prayer
- Simply think of 3-5 things you’re thankful for each morning.
2. Practice Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is by far the hardest and most difficult out the three, not because it’s inherently challenging, but more so because it lacks comfort and is a little painful at first.
Let me explain…
Most of the time, when we eat (aside from family dinner), there’s distraction.
This usually includes:
- Watching videos on our phones
- TV
- Podcasts
- Audiobooks
- Reading
While these aren’t necessarily bad, and I do them all the time, these distractions can actually hurt your digestion.
Whenever I’m rushing and eating, I end up eating quickly and not chewing my food properly…
This can lead to bloating and digestive issues down the line, and like a lot of us, it has become a habit to eat like this.
Furthermore, when you decide to eat with mindfulness, you’ll be able to chew your food slowly and fully, which helps with digestion.
The times I’ve tried mindful eating, I actually want to eat less even if I’m really hungry because I find it to be almost boring and “painful” to just sit there and eat slowly with no entertainment.
It is an eye-opening, subtle experience that shows how snacking and binge eating are largely fueled by entertainment and shutting off your mind while you eat.
Even though it can seem painful, mindful eating is a rewarding practice that can yield many benefits and improve your eating habits.
Challenge: Try unplugging while eating, chew slowly, and stay in the present moment while eating. This helps you eat proper portions (less overeating), chew your food fully, and helps you stay in the present moment.
3. Try Deep Breathing Exercises
Deep breathing has been known for hundreds of years to help calm and relax our minds and bodies.
Deep breathing exercises are great because they actively suppress your fight or flight response and activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for your body’s “rest and digest” functions.
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