Savor Slowing Down

Dear NOT A Slacker,

Interesting signature. It seems to distill your feelings about living a slowed-down lifestyle. 

Was there ever a time in your life when you excelled at doing nothing? Perhaps when you were a youngster building sandcastles or a teen spending hours experimenting with makeup? Thinking back to those times might spark some recognition of the slower-paced you. 

The Italians have a phrase il dolce far niente, which literally means “the sweetness of doing nothing.” It means slowing down enough to appreciate and even embrace the simple pleasures of life. What would this mean for you now?

Here are some examples:

 - Watching a Netflix movie on a Saturday afternoon.

 - Slowly sipping a cappuccino in a coffee shop while you people watch.

 - A day at the beach lounging on a towel or walking along the shore.

 - Spending an hour on the phone with a friend or an adult child.

 - Reading a magazine.

 - Spending a hour on the lanai with a glass of wine while you watch the sunset.

So many leisure activities, so little time! The list could go on and on. I’d suggest you make a list of your own. 

Here are some tips to help you get started:

 - Set aside an hour a day to declutter your mind and let your thoughts drift.

 - Take a moment during the day to breathe deeply.

 - Eat slowly.

 - Disconnect from technology for a specific amount of time each day.

 - Say no to extra commitments.

Embrace JOMO (the joy of missing out) which is the antithesis to FOMO (the fear of missing out). In a culture that glorifies busyness, JOMO allows you to slow down, simplify your life, and live in the moment. It’s about intentional living. Consciously choose quality over quantity, presence over distraction, and simplicity over complexity.

It’s not easy to change your lifestyle or your nature. Take it a step at a time. Ease into your slower-paced life by taking the advice of Leo Babuta, simplicity blogger and author. “Be a curator of your life. Slowly cut things out until you're left only with what you love, with what's necessary, with what makes you happy.”