SLOW LIVING IN A FAST-PACED WORLD: PRIORITIZING SUSTAINABILITY AND WELLNESS

Are you fed up with fast everything? Are you struggling to keep up? Are you desperate for a moment of stillness to catch your breath? The slow-living movement might be your answer. Slow living principles are all about slowing down while getting the most out of life.

By living life slowly, we can live in more harmony with ourselves and with nature. The slow life isn't just good for your well-being; it's good for the environment too. Ultimately, it could be the key to a sustainable life today and a sustainable future for generations to come.

But the slow living movement isn't just about slowing down. It's about being more true to ourselves and creating an inner sanctuary in this fast-paced world.

SLOW LIVING PRINCIPLES

To really understand slow living, we need to trace it back to its roots. When the fast-food world exploded in the 80s and 90s, Italy pushed back with the slow food movement. A movement that valued traditional home-cooked recipes using good quality local produce. While the movement emphasizes doing things slowly, SLOW was originally an acronym for Sustainable, Local, Organic, and Wholefood. The slow living movement is an extension of the slow food movement.

Right from the start, slow living principles have had wellness and environmental sustainability at their heart. But today, the art of living slowly encompasses so much more than food. Slow living is an approach to everyday life that creates space around us and provides protection from our toxic fast-paced world. It's all about slowing down and enjoying more.

Slow living is about:

SLOW LIVING AND SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability is a cornerstone of the slow living movement. Its slow food roots advocate for organic produce that doesn't use pesticides. At the same time, it champions social sustainability by encouraging purchasers to support local farmers and producers and pay a fair price for quality products like vegetables, meat, and dairy. Building relationships between suppliers and purchasers builds stronger local communities that can thrive well into the distant future.

Today, the slow movement has evolved to incorporate broader sustainability habits that reduce waste and environmental impact, save natural resources, and support social equity. Slow living teaches us to move from autopilot purchases to mindful consumption.

SLOW LIVING AND FASHION

In recent years, conscious consumption and sustainability have become increasingly important topics in the world of fashion. The dark unseen secrets of the garment industry have slowly come into focus. Fast fashion's disregard for field workers, garment factory workers, and the environment is neither life-affirming nor sustainable.

The slow movement rejects fast fashion and auto-pilot purchases, instead opting for buying less and better and enjoying it for years to come. Slow living is all about conscious consumption and sustainable choices that reduce the environmental impacts that we've seen from the fast fashion industry.

The slow movement is about knowing where our stuff is coming from. It advocates buying from companies with a transparent chain of supply that is ethical and doesn't escalate environmental issues. But it doesn't stop there.

Slow living is about making wise decisions when we're making our purchases. Like shopping for clothes, you will actually wear and love. And once we've made our purchases, slow living means appreciating what you have and looking after it so it doesn't end up in a landfill two months after you bought it. (While you're here, we've got some great tips on how to care for your swimsuit so you can wear it for years to come.)

At Koraru, sustainability has always been at the heart of our mission. It matters to us that field and factory workers are looked after and get paid a fair wage. It matters to us that the fabrics we use are recycled and durable. It matters to us that our products are manufactured in a way that reduces waste and environmental pollution. We care about creating a sustainable world and working in harmony with Mother Nature.

But recently, at Koraru, we've also come to realize that our well-being is just as important as Mother Nature's. And that's why we're trying to slow down too.

SLOW LIVING AND WELLNESS

Here at Koraru, we realize it's about making slow living choices in everyday life. Because a slow living lifestyle supports our physical health and mental well-being, it's a philosophy that encapsulates our self-care needs.

In contrast, our fast-paced lifestyle and consumption habits, such as fast news, fast food, and fast fashion, negatively impact our wellness.

We all know that fast food is bad for us physically, but a growing body of research points to the fact that fast food is also terrible for our mental health. And if you're a woman under 30, fast food and unhealthy diets affect your mental health more than older adults and men. It turns out that our intuition has always been right; eating fresh local organic produce is better for us.

When the slow food movement first emerged, it was all about the experience of connecting with other people and savoring the flavor of fresh local produce. Nothing beats the buzz of a Sunday morning fresh farmers market and then cooking up a healthy feast with friends or family. It's just good for the soul. And good for our well-being.

Fast food is not the only thing scientists are discovering is bad for our wellness. A growing body of research also explains how overconsumption negatively affects our mental health. The more we shop, the more unhappy we become.

It's becoming more apparent that everything fast is bad for our wellness levels. Fast news and clickbait headlines are also messing with our well-being. With so many digital distractions, we're suffering from negative information overload. And you guessed it! There's research here, too, that suggests the overconsumption of digital media is causing anxiety, stress, fatigue, and depression.

There's no doubt that today's toxic cultural habits are harming our well-being. But a slow living lifestyle is life-affirming and supports our physical health and psychological well-being. Slow living means living in the present moment, with intent and savoring all the wonders life has to offer.

Adopting a slow living lifestyle can improve your well-being. Again, we're starting to see the research that supports this assertion. Well-being levels are directly linked with mindfulness and savoring. And while consumption and goal-orientated well-being are short-lived, slow living practices generate long-lasting innate well-being.

Naturally, slowing down also reduces stress. The slow living lifestyle asks us to prioritize what is important and focus our energies there while letting go of unnecessary activities and demands. This means we have more time for the important stuff. Plus, more time to rest, sleep, and recuperate.

Managing stress is a crucial part of our self-care strategy, but when we adopt a slow living philosophy, we find that managing stress becomes less of a thing.

The results are in. A fast-paced life is in direct conflict with wellness. That's why so many people choose to phase out the fast life and replace it with slow living principles.

Evolving from a fast-paced world to slow living benefits us and our environment and ensures thriving for future generations.

SLOW LIVING PHILOSOPHY

The art of slow living is rooted in a life-affirming philosophy. That means changing our values, priorities, and beliefs. You'll need to re-think your idea of what success means, what happiness means, and what's important to you.

Slow living is a concept that takes time to integrate but is well worth it in the long run. Each day we take small steps to swap out our fast-paced habits for habits that align with our changing values. We live with more intention, more awareness and more balance. 

Adopting a slower lifestyle can be hard when we're used to rushing around, being busy, and trying to keep up with life's daily demands. And emptiness, stillness, and quiet time can feel quite daunting at first. But soon enough, you'll start to crave the slow living aspects of your life that bring you inner peace, creativity, and good health.

SLOW LIVING TIPS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE

To get you started, we've pulled together 25 tips and ideas to help you begin incorporating slow living principles today.

And to help you some more, pop over to my favorite slow living website, Sloww, and discover a ton of great slow living resources like podcasts, books, videos, and quotes.

SLOW LIVING AND CLIMATE OPTIMISM

When we adopt a slow living lifestyle, our values start to reflect our love of nature and our desire to live in harmony with it. We spend less time consuming and more time being. As a result, our wellbeing levels increase and our habits become more life affirming. We spend less time plugged in doom scrolling and we experience less climate anxiety.

The slow living lifestyle is a choice we make when we want to live in a better world and leave a better world behind us. It's a step away from the fast-paced consumer culture rampant today that's destructive. It's a step towards a healthier body, a balanced mind, and a more sustainable future. 

Written by Kirsti Formoso - Wellness Writer for Koraru

Kirsti Formoso is a wellness writer and researcher. She is passionate about holistic health and wellbeing. She has over 30 years of experiential knowledge in personal and spiritual development, and a Masters of Science in Consciousness, Spirituality and Transpersonal Psychology. She is also a peer reviewer for two scientific journals specialising in Transpersonal Psychology. When she’s not writing she can be found working on her vegetable plot, hiking in the mountains and breathing in all the wonders nature has to offer.