r/SlowLiving

​Have you ever wondered...

Nowadays, we consume more information in a single day than our grandparents did in an entire month.

We listen to podcasts while walking. We watch television while eating. We scroll through social media for hours on end.

No wonder so many people feel mentally exhausted today.

Perhaps true rest isn't on the couch with a phone. Perhaps it's less noise, fresh air, and peace.

We are always rushing somewhere. Waiting for something. Overthinking.

We have forgotten what it's like to do nothing for a moment.

Stop for a moment. Be here and now. Because this is all we have.

Do you feel like victims of this fast-paced rhythm, and how do you deal with information overload in your daily lives?

Not actual luxury stuff. I mean things like fresh sheets, finding a snack you forgot you bought, having a completely empty afternoon, or taking a shower when you have nowhere to rush off to afterward.

There’s something funny about how ridiculously good really ordinary things can feel sometimes.

What’s one of those little “this is the life” moments for you?

Such as rent/mortgage or car payments? How did you create a soft life with housing?

I’ve been thinking about how often we rush through things, even when there’s really no need to.

Eating, showering, walking somewhere, replying to messages, finishing a hobby, even watching a movie can start to feel like things we need to get through as quickly and efficiently as possible.

I’m curious about people who’ve been practicing slow living for a while. Is there anything you’ve consciously decided to stop rushing?

Maybe it’s cooking, your mornings, conversations, hobbies, errands, or just giving yourself permission to do absolutely nothing for a while.

Has slowing that part of your life down changed the way you experience it?

I feel like I am able to slow down and find simple joys in every season except summer. All summer, I just seethe and think about how hot it is, how sweaty I am, how I can't go outside for fear of a sunburn or heat exhaustion. I'm trying to find small joys, but it just feels so much harder.

What small joys have you found in summer that allow you to feel present and slow down?

When I first started looking into slow living, a lot of the online content felt a bit unattainable—it seemed to require moving to a cabin, quitting a full-time job, or completely overhauling your entire lifestyle overnight.

But over time, I realized that living slowly is much more about the micro-choices we make in our existing routines.

For me, it started with something as simple as not checking my phone for the first 20 minutes after waking up, and actually sitting down to drink my morning coffee without multitasking. It felt tiny, but it completely changed the emotional trajectory of my mornings.

I'd love to hear from this community: What is one small, low-effort "slow" practice or habit you brought into your daily life that had a surprisingly deep impact on your peace of mind?

I've stopped using all social media and am only watching long-format videos now and have never been happier. The problem is: I have a very specific type of YT content I would like to watch.

Let me try to put it into words.

I don't want to watch content designed to hold my attention. I feel so drained and tired from it. I don't want to watch videoessays with intense storytelling or dramatic narration, I don't want to watch mainstream documentaries with rousing music and fast-paced cuts and I don't want to watch aesthetic/performance content with staged environments and people self-displaying.

I want to learn something new about the world, anything. I want a window into something new.

So far I've only found two channels that (according to me) fit this. (I'm not sure if the community guidelines allow me to name them so I'll put them in the comments.)

Please tell me you understand what I mean and that more of this type of content exists.

I used to leave clean dishes drying on the rack and mail piled by the microwave overnight. A few days ago, I spent five minutes putting every single thing away so the counter was completely clear before bed. Walking into a totally clean kitchen first thing in the morning with coffee felt unexpectedly refreshing.

Do you have any small evening habits that make your morning routine feel smoother?

I really want to know…

For me, it was the pressure of having to keep up with huge groups of friends, and the guilt I felt when I turned down plans for the weekend. When I was 20, I thought I had to be everywhere otherwise I’d miss out on something, or next time they’d forget about me and never invite me anywhere again. But after I turned 30, I reevaluated everything, and now I genuinely enjoy quiet evenings at home with my family and maintain close relationships with just three or four close friends.

funny how your taste changes as you get older. there are things i could not stand a few years ago that i actually enjoy now. for me, its quiet mornings. younger me would have found them boring, now i genuinely love having nowhere to rush to.what is something you changed your mind about over the years?

I'm a speech therapist and I work with patients who have had strokes/brain injuries. A lot of my advice to them is to reduce distractions while they focus on relearning skills. Like avoiding listening to the radio or podcasts when they begin to drive again.

As employees, none of us gets to focus on any one thing. We have to treat patients, listen to them and counsel them/their families, and take notes at the same time. We have to check our phones during treatment to see if a colleague has messaged us. We constantly have to check our computers to read updates and requests from our boss. It's hard to be fully present with my patients and it's not fair to them.

In this day and age, we're supposed to be optimizing and streamlining EVERYTHING. I do think some level of 'multi tasking' is necessary in everyday life (like cooking while the laundry is going), but it feels like we have to be productive every moment of the day.

Yall, I'm so tired. This way of life has ruined my attention span. I used to love reading, but I can only read a few pages before I feel the need to pick up my phone and do... something. I just want a quiet brain.

When I was younger a quiet day with nothing planned felt like I was missing out. Now a slow morning with coffee and zero surprises feels like a small win. Nothing dramatic, just calm.

I think somewhere along the way I stopped chasing the exciting version of every day and started appreciating the peaceful one. Not sure if that's growth or just getting tired, honestly probably a bit of both.

Anyone else notice their idea of a good day quietly changed as they got older?

I’ve been working from home for 2 years, and I’m curious how other WFH people spend their free time.
Since we don’t have the usual office routine or coworkers around, what do you guys do to make life more interesting?
I’m thinking beyond the usual gym/movies/gaming stuff — things like **scuba diving, trekking, weekend trips, learning new activities, joining clubs, meeting new people**, etc.
For those of you who work remotely:
What activities have you tried?
What was actually worth doing?
Do you have any regular weekend hobbies/adventures?
How do you avoid feeling like you’re just working and staying at home all the time?
Would love to hear what you guys are doing! 🙌

Hi! I quit all social media earlier this year, and only have reddit at times, goodreads & sewcial (a sewing app) left. However I find it difficult to do my mornings and was wondering for inspiration.

I am chronically ill with my mornings being the hardest to wakeup. I usually used my phone deliberately to use the blue light and brain activity to wake up. But lately especially with no easy place to doomscroll I find I overwhelm myself within 20 minutes and start my day anxiously.

I'm looking for some activity I could pick up on in the early morning to wake up to. I usually do go out to do my skincare and brush teeth and let my dog out of her crate but that is not until I feel a little awake.

What does your morning routine with as little phone as possible look like?

Genuine question. Please help me with your thoughts and ideas. I’m recovering from a burnout along with other health issues and have been on a break from work, socialising - everything basically.

I’m finally learning how good it feels to not move through my day like I can only rest when everything is done. My partner on the other hand is really fast-paced. Thoughts, actions, literally and figuratively. I find myself quickening when he’s around, or unable to calm down if we’re doing something together because he always thinks 10 steps ahead and I find myself unable to slow down.

He’s an excellent partner and supports my choices but as someone who’s always absorbed the energy of the room, I find it hard to unwire and slow down when he’s around.

What would be a realistic way to approach this situation?

We’ve been thinking about how easy it is to move through the day without really noticing the small moments

Curious what simple things help you slow down in your everyday routine

it could be something you do in the morning, after work, or before going to bed

What small habit has made the biggest difference for you?

Not the Pinterest version of slow living with candles and a perfectly made cup of coffee even though that is! I mean the small ordinary things you do that make you feel like you’re actually living instead of constantly rushing to the next thing.

Before I retired I made this long list of things I always said I'd do "when I have time." Now I have the time and honestly I don't know where to start.

When I was younger I used to watch kids doing street dance and thought it looked so cool. Always told myself maybe one day. Well, now I'm 64 and my knees have made that decision for me. That one stays a regret. But I've noticed my dreams have shifted completely. I used to want thrills, now I just want slowness and quiet.

Now what I actually want is a small vegetable garden where I can eat what I grow. Maybe move somewhere quieter, plant a fruit tree, watch it grow over the years. Been slowly stocking up on planters, seeds, and tools off amazon and tiktok whenever I spot a price drop or a sale because buying everything from scratch gets expensive real quick. I'm out there every morning checking on my tomatoes like they're my kids.

I still have a weird interest in younger people's stuff though. Bought a bunch of big story-driven games on Steam that I never had time for when I was working. Took me a while to figure out the controls and I still look up walkthroughs, but it's brought me more joy than I expected.

Two years in and the slowness feels right. Anyone else find that what you actually want out of life looks nothing like what you imagined twenty years ago?

Been over a year now that I stopped watching tv and even got rid of the tv I owned a few months ago. Life is beautiful and I feel I’m living in the present moment. I noticed I’m never bored because I have hobbies now to keep me busy, I enjoy reading, spending time with family, I don’t procrastinate like I use to because I don’t use my tv as a distraction or my phone really. I have time to pour into myself, I go to the gym, go to therapy and spend more time outside.