Slow living is a simplistic way of living that instills more mindfulness, slowness, and in a way – making our days feel more aesthetic and poetic. More than this, it’s actually profound for trauma survivors because slow living naturally slows the rush of life and embraces the beauty of the present. These elements create the perfect atmosphere for a balanced nervous system and gentle healing.
Our nervous systems love predictability, safety, and gentleness. Slow living’s foundation is based on these themes.
Slow living isn’t new to culture, and in fact might be something you already do or aim for if you’re a naturally sensitive soul. Before television, phones, and social media, we still had responsibilities of life – but there was less distraction through quick media. We couldn’t watch television or play video games so we listened to the birds or talked with each other. It’s totally okay to enjoy the luxuries of modern life, but we may be keeping our nervous systems in over drive.
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It’s common for trauma survivors to experience hyperarousal, often feeling alert or constantly anxious. Distracting ourselves doesn’t allow our bodies to finish our stress response, and so we get a small bit of distraction that is short-lived. To find balance, we need to do active, deep rest.
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Slow living creates opportunity for active rest because there is less room for distraction and avoidance of our feelings. We also can be more present and grounded, creating predictability. Slow living is also about living more in tune with nature – following the natural rise and setting of the sun, spending time outdoors, and perhaps even taking conscious effort to use products that are supportive of the environmental and use less electricity.
Slow living releases the need to do and welcomes us to just be.
Especially in the west, society takes pride in how many hours we worked, how much we accomplished, or how exhausted we are. The hustlers wear their busy schedule as a badge of honor – only resting once they feel they were productive enough to deserve it.
This doesn’t leave our nervous systems in an environment that welcomes rest. To heal from trauma, it’s important to give our bodies time so we can enter a parasympathetic state in our nervous system. This is our rest and digest system and allows us to finally unwind and feel relaxed.
With constant pressure to do more, include more, and be more, it may seem impossible to live life any other way. How can we slow down when there is so much going on around us?
We can incorporate slow living by removing what’s distracting and making more time for the groundedness of life.
It may be overwhelming to begin slow living overnight, but we can begin to live a slower life with small changes. Maybe instead of heating a microwave meal and sitting in front of the television, you create a homemade meal, being present with your hands and food. Initially, this may feel like more work, and I understand how sometimes we just need a break from chores and to watch some television. But other times, you may try the slower life, increasing mindfulness in your daily life.
You could also think of taking longer to do a certain chore or self-care ritual in your day. Instead of rushing through brushing your teeth, what if you noticed how the toothbrush felt or how your feet feel on the floor? You might spend time with your pet in the morning instead of scrolling on your phone, or have a few sips of coffee by a window or outside instead of rushing out the door with a thermos.
Just like when we take a deep breath, the world slows and life feels a small bit more manageable. This overtime leads to amazing changes in how we view the world, our schedules, and our relationships. For trauma survivors, this slowness allows our bodies to finally settle to process thoughts, feelings, and sensations. I welcome you to explore support options for a well-rounded care plan.
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Slow living might feel boring initially, but I welcome you to think of how distracting our world is today compared to only fifty years ago.
If you couldn’t have your phone or television for a day, what would you do? Would you finally read that book on your shelf, go for a walk outside, take a nap, make homemade bread? Would you sing to yourself in the shower or clean your house? Write a handwritten letter? Without distractions, we may rediscover old hobbies or improve our spaces and self-care.
To start, you might choose to set your phones aside for an hour a day. You could even swap the type of content you’re consuming. Maybe instead of the constant scrolling and 10 second videos, you explore a longer, 30 minute video or podcast. Maybe you listen to audio books or play more grounding music that you enjoy. I couldn’t believe the difference in my anxiety levels when I swapped Instagram for Pinterest and YouTube. Slow living doesn’t need to be an entire life swap, and everything makes a difference.
You can make slow living fun by exploring new ways of doing things.
What if you used an oil lamp in the mornings instead of the lights? Or maybe you make plans to garden or grow a single herb in a pot by a kitchen window. What if you bought a compost, tried dying your own clothes or took a bath by candlelight, or explored a hearty meal with your crock pot?
I welcome you to be creative when you explore slow living, because you never know what might be something small that encourages you to become more present and find little joys in life.
Slow living explores the question: why not now?
Sometimes, it seems we’re always trying to reach the next milestone to be happy. We think we can’t rest until we make more money, have a job we enjoy more than our current one, our kids are out of diapers, and the list goes on. I like to explore wondering when this ends. Is it when we retire in older age that we finally allow ourselves to slow down? If so…why?
This is actually a difficult question to answer, but I welcome you to explore this: If you made enough money, and your family had all the money they needed, and you never had to go to work for another day in your life, what would you do every day? Shockingly, many people I ask don’t know. Or maybe they know, but they realize they’d get bored after a few months.
When we keep working for the next tangible or external thing, we might be lost once there is no next thing. So, why not now? Why not explore the hobby, or take the class, or embrace the smell of the rain? This isn’t about masking anything or ignoring responsibilities, but about wondering what we could do with the times we feel bored and did something besides turn to our phones or television.
I believe this is the heart of slow living – to discover life now as it is, to soften, so we have a rich life full of intrinsically rewarding passions.
Slow living is something you can do a little or a lot of. I welcome you to find a balance that works for you and to release the need to be perfect.
These simple mindfulness additions are supportive of healing trauma, creating more space and less rush in your day, and embracing that there is only this moment right now. You deserve to give your mind, body, and nervous system a rest, and you don’t need to work twice as hard for a week to earn a break. You’re always worthy of rest and adding more gentle, slow living into your life. Take good care.
