Slower Paced Living;

Why you should Start and How To Begin

The good ol’ Rise and Grind; American Culture feeds on this. In this generation we are Always On. Our lights, technolgic devices, and houses run 24/7. Your can find jobs at all hours of the day. The constant cycle of work, eat, sleep repeat. It’s like you’re on autopilot…But what if you feel called for something different? What if you realize that this constant cycle just isn’t your jam anymore? Have you ever thought about a Slower Paced Living?

Realizing that the Hustle and Grind just doesn’t resonate with you can really be stressful! In fact one day I just blurted to my partner how alls I wanted to do was quit my job and be a stay at home mom! I felt soooo guilty after that! But honestly, he really wanted to me to also. He saw how hard it was to work full time, care for our house, and babies, and myself (pregnant above all else). Sometimes you’ve just got to get that stuff off your chest you know?

After that, I became infatuated with women and their families that shared their stories for “homemaking”, “simple living”, “Homesteading”, and more. These women, and families, all had slower paced lives I craved for myself and family. I was envious at first. But it got me thinking; Why Not Me? Also Why Not You? Creating a Slower Paced Living isn’t hard! In fact I created this post for individuals to understand why they should start living a slower life and how to begin!

What’s the Why?

Stress, Anxiety, Over Whelm, Out of Control, Fear.

Have you ever felt like any of the descriptions mentioned above? If Yes, How often? If you answered frequently, You Are Not Alone! Here’s some statistics that’s even more alarming: According to the American Phycology Association (No affiliate link, educational only) in 2022 27% of American Adults say they are so stressed most days that they can not function! Younger women ages 18-34, 62% feel completely overwhelmed by stress. That’s just the beginning. As an active RN in the field I see all sorts of stress and it truly bothers me. Why is this happening? And How can we begin to debunk this? Why are Americans so stressed? And Why are the numbers higher for women?

It’s not a secrete that we just faced the hardest time ever in the world in the past few years. It’s showing. Because of the global chaos recently felt, millions are left picking up pieces, trying to resume normal lives, and we don’t know how anymore. We’ve watched countless pass on, our economy go down the tubes, the stress just continues to rise. Job security, people shutting business down, companies down sizing, violence, the housing market in the tubes, gas prices, food prices, every price going up. I could go on…. It’s escalated to say the least.

The Need to Be Present

But above everything that has been going on, I felt this subtle calling deep in my bones. The one where you brush it off at first until the inner voice gets sooo loud you can’t ignore it anymore. The need to revert into my own home life, raise my children, stop with the constant need to validate what society wants in my household, and be the spouse I was meant to be.

The Need to be a Family

I fear we have gotten so far away from the foundation of what the word Family means. The importance of rearing our own children, and keeping the home put together; I feel we have lost ourselves in this society. When I was in grade school I remember those college recruiters speaking to us, we wouldn’t be successful without a degree… As a career oriented women I never felt less inspired in my life, I did all the things. I picked a good career, even got the advanced degree…. I suppose it’s motherhood that has changed my thoughts about that. The calling to leave it all behind to be more present with my children, family, partner is every day, Constantly.

The Need To Reduce Anxiety

More often than not I find just by talking to people personally and as a nurse that many struggle with day to day anxieties. Just look at the study I cited above with stress! Living slower creates the space for you the Breathe, and availability to actually relax. When you are in a space to have time to think clearly and properly, you will ultimately choose better options for decision making.

Ways to Implement a Slower Paced Living

Establish a Daily Routine

Humans are habitual in nature. We all have certain routines we do. Start by evaluating your current routines and where you would like to change. Would you like to wake up earlier? Go to bed without your cell phone? Maybe you want to dedicate time to exercising or spend more time with your kids at night. What ever your intentions are, think about how you can implement that into your daily routine. If you can’t currently then evaluate how you can readjust your time and daily routine to best fit your needs.

Establishing a Daily Routine also prepares you for the day ahead. When you have a schedule in place you know what to expect. This creates more time in your daily life because you are not scrambling to make ends meet on a daily basis.

PrePlan Events, Meals, and More

I used to fly by the seat of my pants ALL THE TIME, I never really thought anything of it. It wasn’t until I had children and it really caused a lot of stress and chaos in my life. Procrastination was my middle name and it was terrible. I found that when I do this with my children; they hate being rushed and they start acting out because they can feel the tension rise within me.

If you know you have something coming up Plan For It. Do you need outfits? Or to create a dish? Whatever the case try not to wait until the day before or the morning of to try to accomplish what ever you need to. It will cause you to be exhausted for the whatever the cause is.

PrePlan Weekly Meals. If you work a demanding job and have a family chances are you are pretty tired after each work day. There has been times where I wouldn’t come home close to 6pm and not have any clue what I was doing for dinner. My children were cranky and I was crankier. Making a meal plan the weekend ahead keeps you staying afloat and can help you prepare for what you might need to do prior. This results in cutting meal cook times down! I also suggest preparing food on Sunday. Typically I will have lunches and dinners sorted out for more than half of the work week! This has been a HUGE Game Changer! Now I can spend more time after work doing the things I actually enjoy!

Create Monthly Goals

There’s nothing like sitting down at the very end or very beginning to the new month self reflecting! This is a great time for you to start a new routine, project, or habits. Whatever the case you have all month to work on it, you can reflect on how you did at the end of the month. Plus it takes roughly 21-28 days to form a new habit. It’s also a great time to evaluate yourself and determine where more change may be needed in your life.

What ever your goal looks like, it’s unique to your own! Check out my Free Printable Mindfulness Worksheet if you are having trouble, this work sheet is great for creating new goals in your life for whatever the cause!

Allow Yourself to Rest

It’s okay to feel tired. It’s also okay to allow yourself to rest! Somewhere somehow we have deemed ourselves lazy if we need to take some time to rest. We are not robots and operating daily on a cup that’s half full is not okay. I’m also here to tell you that just because you need rest doesn’t make you lazy! Take that time if you need it!

So often we push through this feeling of tiredness. We hammer cups of coffee down, energy drinks that have damaging health effects, running ourselves truly in the ground. How can we function optimally if we can’t properly rest? Resting just isn’t a physical act, it’s also a mental act. It is a way that we can unwind and become truly present with ourselves. When we have the proper rest we can function better not only physically, but mentally.

Allow Yourself to Say No

There are some people who have FOMO. (Fear Of Missing out) and it shows. They’re always there, always going, always doing. But really how are they when they aren’t constantly moving? They must be exhausted in my eyes. You do not have to always go to every event! You do not have to feel responsible for someone else’s event either! If you feel exhausted and the need rest; Then Say No!

As a woman, I personally feel as though our personal boundaries are always begin pushed. We have allowed ourself to obscure what that line is. If you feel like this; I got you! This is a perfect time to reclaim your “line” and start to set rules for yourself. Saying No might hurt other’s feelings at first, but the more practice you do the easier it becomes.

You don’t have to say No all the time. It’s just the point of saying No especially when you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and chaotic. If you know you will feel better staying at home with the night off, then honor that feeling! There will always be another event! Or party! And if your friends are truly your friends, they will understand your need to have that time off!

I hope you enjoyed these 5 Easy Tips for Slower Living I have discussed this post. Pick one area and begin to cultivate change! Slower Paced Living isn’t hard; it’s the act of following through on your intentions! If you found this post helpful I suggest my other post on 6 Signs You Need to Add Mindfulness in Your Life. Please don’t forget to sign up for my Emails, Like and Support me throughout my blogging journey.