Have you ever reached the end of a perfectly ordinary day and wondered where did the hours go? You‘ve worked hard to make it count. You were busy. You sorted the mails and answered the messages, handled the responsibilities, took care of everyone and everything that needed you. And yet your attention, your energy and your heart, everything feels completely blank inside out. A weak sad longing overwhelms you. Hard, cold and distant you find yourself incapable of experiencing any emotion. Your heart still aches for a slow paced, calm, deliberate and an easy-going life.

Did you actually enjoy your day? “No way, not at all, not a chance”! I can see right through you.

I think we have become so accustomed to managing our days that we often forget to experience them. And that’s interesting. We spend so much time fixing our lives we want that we sometimes forget we’re already living it. We remain unmindful of the fact that we sweat the small stuff, pick our battles and for some morbid reason, wouldn’t let go either!

So, what is this big stuff about that makes us so anxious and uneasy? Do you know where to look for every day choices to bring greater presence, joy and meaning to the life you’re living ‘Now’?

If you’re jumpy and stressed and apprehensive at night break about the discomfort you’re dragging on; this one is for you!

An unhurried morning, a jovial side splitting conversation, a moment of gratitude that changes your entire perspective, aren’t these the perfect way to let your fiendishly digitized lifestyle take a back seat? Connecting with those who mean the most to us is vital for an unhurried life. And sometimes it’s the courage to acknowledge that the way you’ve been living ever since, isn’t how you wanted to spend the precious time you’re left with. It’s this awareness what makes living all the more beautiful and sincere.

So stop managing life and start living meaningfully. ‘Hurry is what has already cost you more than you realize!’

Transformation takes a while and that’s okay. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Let life move at its speed. However, if and when challenges threaten to overpower and you are forced to twirl and whirl your shiny baton, everything starts to change fast. If somehow you overcome them, you may unwittingly get addicted to your mettle and begin to think you know your way around. But that’s not how approbation should make you feel good inside. When jostling with headwinds, step away from Nine-to-five grind for a while. Not only your anxiety will be dramatically reduced, you’ll also be able to wield greater sway over your life.

If you’re new to the idea of “slow living“, these four simple ways will help you get started. Once you get going, you will know how to downshift your days and pick up a slow restful living; all for lesser woes and shortened burnouts!

Walk Away From Busyness Symptoms

For long I’ve been a recovering speed addict — No! I don’t mean the drug. I’m talking about the pace of my life. I always seemed to be in a hurry. I was the guy who looked for the easy and the fastest lane on the expressway, the shortest checkout line at the shopping center, no-wait service at grocery store and the quickest way to finish the work in Office.

I didn’t know what to do with myself if I wasn’t solving something, going somewhere or helping someone. The hurried pace of my life had exposed me. I did not know how to live a more unhurried life. And there was nothing that I could do except listen to frequent advices pushed firmly and strongly down my way.

Unmindful that I was failing in learning how to use better part of them, I had simply missed the key to an easy going life. Until…

I began to take life as it came. I shifted to a lower gear and now suddenly I was disengaging from daily stressors more easily.

Was I relaxed? I bet that isn’t the word you are thinking of either! If that means slowing down, unhasty and restful…Yeah that’s me.  

I think slow living is about fully focusing on the present. You carry it off by doing just one task at a time, and doing it well. But all too often, we ourselves end up calling the dishwasher repairman, folding the laundry and cooking dinner all at the same time.

Now that you’re looking to slow life down a bit, stop calling the troubleshooter, pause folding the laundry and break off cooking dinner, all at the same time.  Pick up just one thing at a time. Cook, take a walk, or enjoy Netflix? Simply set aside your phone, play calming music if you’d like, and do whatever you think is necessary. Do it with intention and mindfulness.

Unburden Yourself

“I am free “. “I have some flexibility”. “My calendar is open.”

Does any of this sound familiar? Have you heard of them before?  Did you choose to dismiss them as of no value without being really attentive?

If so, you’ve let your true real world non-digitized relationships take a backseat.  Intentionally networking with the people who matter most is essential for a lifestyle that prioritizes calm, balance, and connection over constant busyness.

Today, I set aside a few hours a week for myself. I invite people into my home. I go out to eat or for a walk. And guess what! These clear open moments in an accelerated world have evolved silently and gently to make my journey more beautiful and worthwhile.

I find the pleasure in the nothingness of the moment unrivaled, unmatched-absolute. It’s some joy to bask in quiet spaces!

Make Home a Tranquil Sanctuary

A placid and peaceful cozy quietude—is what you need where you can unwind and recharge. Home is the only place that offers you a moment of pure presence.   Purge your space, surround yourself with things that bring you joy and peace and relish the pause. Common ordinary things that can calm down the environment, create a league of their own and refresh your living space. Books, flowers, down lighting, natural lighting, soft and warm colors, peaceful background music, cozy blankets; anything that makes your space appear less crowded will bring back visual clarity and a sense of slow living.

Count Yourself Lucky

Mindfulness is actually a broader practice that pivots on appreciation and gratefulness. When you practice it, you observe your thoughts, physical sensations and emotions exactly as they are rather than forcing yourself to feel positive or thankful. In the same way, living slow paced, free of overwhelming anxieties and distressing concerns isn’t about pretending that everything happens for a reason or that every challenge comes with an easy answer. It’s about carrying a life that has given us so much without distancing ourselves.

Serendipity isn’t something that you need to save for the extraordinary. Not because you need to pretend that everything is wonderful in your life but because there is more to appreciate than you’ve let yourself to notice.

When I was working, it seemed natural to be in a hurry – rushing to my job, avoiding so many people to complete my work in time, speeding through a daily workout, reading or watching some brain dead sitcom abstractly when friends or family tried to communicate. I was too hurried to be fully present with other people. There were times when I would actually walk out of the room even when someone hadn’t finished talking.

Even in retirement the old habits of hurrying still nag me. But I have lived a long nasty hurried life already. Not anymore. Mindful availability has finally led me to a laid back tranquil life.

Do you still think that so much banter over this crazy idea of an unrushed, slow-to-anger even tempered endurance is only about being reactive and not proactive?

Live slow, live well ; live the Big Stuff while you chew over it!