Ready for less hustle and more simplicity?
In a world that constantly pushes us to do more and move faster, there’s something magical about choosing simplicity and slowing down.
I think the most common question I get over on Instagram has to be What actually is slow living? I’ve been living what I would consider a slower living lifestyle for many years now, and when I started sharing more about it over on Instagram I definitely noticed an uptick in questions about just what living slowly entails. I find it a really difficult question to answer because I truly believe living slowly can mean something different to everyone. I don’t necessarily think it is easily definable because we all live a different life and slow living will look differently in each of them.
I think it's important to understand where the idea of living slowly came from in my own life. Again, if you follow me on Instagram you know that I sometimes talk in-depth about my experiences within a multi-level marketing company and you may have seen that here too. Multi-level marketing has a culture of hustle, of being always switched on, and having to constantly work because if you're not constantly working or constantly hustling then there is no way that you will be able to make money (and let’s be honest, making money is questionable anyway as the stats say that 99.6% don’t make any anyway). I often speak in greater depth about the pitfalls of multi-level marketing so be sure to check those out if they are your jam.
I get asked about this all the time...
When I left multilevel marketing in early 2019, I didn’t realise it would be this cataclysmic event that would change the course of my life from then on. The very notion of me leaving and moving on, happened so slowly and quietly, that it could have been mistaken as almost a non-event in my life.
Leaving hustle culture behind and embracing the slow down
Leaving a multi-level marketing company and the onset of the global pandemic provided the perfect opportunity for me to look at my life and embrace slowing down. While the pandemic was of course dreadful for many, it did provide us, as a family, with ample opportunity to rethink our priorities and the way we live our lives. When I think about slow living I often think back to that first period of lockdown, where the world completely changed on its axis in the blink of an eye. For us as a family, we were able to embrace being home with nobody having to work outside of the home. I often remember standing outside on my balcony just looking out into the world and wondering the sorts of things that were occurring out there. It's something that I still do to this day.
There were so many aspects of slow living that we had already embraced in our lives but it was the beginning of a whole lot more. When the world started to open up again all of the things that I did before, to some extent, I was in no hurry to rush back to. Everything just seemed so insignificant once I had embraced something else.
The pandemic opened my eyes to slow living
Throughout the pandemic we embraced so many different things, always trying to become less dependent on the outside world. In a way, we have always embraced so many things that lend us to this way of living, but the pandemic turned us inward and enabled us to look at some of the other things that we could be doing to create a life that felt good. I have long hated overconsumption, hustle culture, always being switched on, and everything that exists in this capitalist culture that we find ourselves so ingrained in.
Slow living is about what that means to you. It is about detaching from a world that would rather you stay always connected, always switched on, always consuming, and always spending. It is about leaving behind some of the more problematic aspects of life that society pushes on us. It is about slowing down and embracing a slower more intentional way of living. What that looks like might look different for everyone, but I have put together this fun, free checklist for you to download as you get started in your slow living journey.
How can you embrace the slow down?
Life is busy, it's always on and always feeling so fast-paced and you don’t need to wait for a global pandemic to switch things on it’s head. Chances are, when reading this, you already recognise the feelings I explained here. If you want to start slowing down but don’t know where to start, I have something just for you.
Life can feel overwhelming with so much to do and so little time. That’s why I’ve created “A Busy Person’s Guide to Slowing Down”—a simple, practical resource designed to help you reclaim your time and live more intentionally. Inside, you'll find easy-to-implement tips to slow down, simplify, and align your life with the seasons. Download it now and start creating the peaceful, balanced life you deserve.
How we maintain a slow life
Living slowly seems to buck the norm but that being said it's a theory that once adopted you will find very easy to continue. Today our days are filled with slowness where possible, no hurry (unless really necessary - sometimes it's just not always possible to embrace in a world that is set on going fast), and taking our time. In our home, we particularly embrace things like growing our own, slow food at our allotment (you can follow our allotment journey here), embracing an abundance of time in nature, embracing slow food practices at home, and disconnecting, where possible, from the outside world. Living slowly is a process that can mean different things to different people. For us it embraces a lot of our home life, how we live, work, and function and that is a huge privilege.
But I think it’s really important to remember that living slowly is a choice we make for parts of our life. It’s not necessarily something we can embrace across out entire lives. We still have jobs, deadlines, school runs, appointments and more, all in the fast paced modern world. I don’t believe that this means slow living is impossible, I just think this means that we can choose to live more slowly and simply in the other moments, in the moments that matter. We've all got those non-negotiables — work, school, family or other commitments. But amidst all the chaos, there can be room for slow living. Slow living isn't about quitting your job or ditching your responsibilities. It's about adopting a mindset of mindfulness and intentionality. It's about savouring the moments, instead of rushing through them. It's about finding peace in the pace.
You don't have to live a completely slow life to reap the benefits. Even small moments of stillness can make a big difference. It's about finding ways to incorporate slow living into your existing life.
I would love to hear what slow living means to you.
Is it too soon to mention Christmas?
I don’t know about you, but every year the Christmas season seems to get busier and more overwhelming. Between all of the busyness and hustle, we often end up feeling burnt out instead of joyful.
That’s why I created the Slow & Simple Christmas Workshop and I am bringing it back again this year — to help you step away from the chaos and embrace the season in a way that feels calm, meaningful, and aligned with your values. In this 40-minute workshop, you'll learn how to embrace a calmer, more meaningful Christmas by simplifying your traditions, reducing stress, and aligning with the natural rhythm of the season.
If you're ready to slow down and experience a Christmas that fills you up rather than drains you, join me for this transformative workshop.