It’s the 1980s, and McDonald’s chooses to open a location near the Spanish Steps in the heart of Rome. What do the Italians think? Absolutely not. Offended by the thought of fast food damaging their four-hour lunch culture with fresh spaghetti from scratch…a group of locals led by Carlo Petrini founded the Slow Food movement as a full-fledged protest against the frantic pace of modern life. Sure, it began with food, but the concept spread: what if we slowed everything down?
Let’s be clear: Slow living isn’t about moving as if you’re buffering in a dreadful WiFi zone or staring out the window while sipping chai. And no, you don’t have to give up your responsibilities and relocate to a remote cottage to master your sourdough recipe. You may live slowly in the city while keeping a full schedule, and be assured you can do this in college. It’s not about doing less—it’s about doing what actually matters. Which, let’s be honest, probably isn’t doom-scrolling TikTok at 2 a.m.
Consider the last time you passed someone on your way to class and exchanged a lackluster, barely-there smile. You know, the “I see you, but I’m too busy for human interaction” smile. Maybe instead you paused for three minutes? A genuine “Hey, how’s life?” rather than the mechanical “What’s up?” to which neither of you responds. You’d be amazed at how easily you can connect when you give yourself permission to engage. Slow living is not about being unproductive; it is about noticing life as it happens.
The Sweetest Form of Academic Self-Care
If you’ve ever been stuck in ZSR at midnight, relying on a Cherry Alani Nu, 38 open tabs, and sheer willpower, you understand the power of the Smith’s Cafe announcement: “Free pastries are available while supplies last.” That’s your cue.
Forget about mitochondria for a second (we understand that it is the cell’s powerhouse). Stand up, stretch, and take a slow, triumphal walk to claim your slightly stale but still splendid donut. Inspect its shiny, sugar-dusted surface as if it were a fine art on display. Take a bite. Allow yourself to be in the present moment. For this brief moment, you are not a student buried in assignments. You are just a person eating a pastry, and that is slow living.
Find Your Mini “Fridays”
If you spend Monday through Thursday simply surviving until the weekend, you’re merely on autopilot. It’s time for a change. What’s the secret? Adopt little rituals in your daily life.
For me, it’s a 20-minute coffee ritual (medium iced cappuccino, soy milk, and a tad bit of honey to be exact). No emails, no stress: just me, my coffee, and the delusion that I have my life in order. Maybe I’ll call a hometown friend, listen to a podcast or just look into space, contemplating my existence. Whatever it is, it’s my moment before the day consumes me completely.
So, what is your thing? Midday walks? Is there a new TV show to watch? A long shower? Create small moments throughout your day to make life feel less like a countdown to the weekend and more like something worth being present for.
Oura Ring Epidemic
Even the most basic human activities—eating, sleeping, and existing—have been converted into data points. You’re not only sleeping; you’re also monitoring your REM cycles. You are doing more than just eating; you are also calculating macros. Everything is gamified, as if a graph is the only way to prove that you have rested.
Maybe, maybe, it is not about documenting every moment of your life, but rather living it.
The Takeaway
Life is more than simply the big, extravagant moments; it is also about the quiet ones in between. If you’re always racing to the next thing, you may miss out on the best portions. So, slow down. Say hi to a friend. Enjoy the donut. Romanticize your Tuesday. Because if you aren’t having fun right now, at this very moment, what are you rushing toward? If you don’t believe me, listen to Helena Woods: “Your days matter. Life’s joys are day-to-day. If there’s no enjoying the process and the daily happenings of life, what’s the point of it all?” (And hey, maybe slow down a bit when you read that, too.)