I learned one very important thing when I was studying abroad in England — life doesn’t move nearly as fast as Americans make it seem. When I lived in England for three months, I was the calmest I’d ever been. I took my time with things, and I never rushed anywhere. I always had time to grab a coffee or tea, or to take a stroll around campus while still feeling very involved in campus life academically and socially. It felt like there was time for everything, and when I got back home, I tried to keep that same mindset.
It isn’t easy trying to live slow when everyone around you is going fast, but there are a few things I’ve adopted that have helped me keep the slow pace of life I learned overseas.
Hobbies.
Leaning into my hobbies and taking up new ones has significantly helped me slow down my life and find the beauty in smaller things. My favorite thing is to listen to an audiobook while I’m doing another one of my hobbies like puzzles or coloring. Zoning out to a good book while I’m focusing on something else slows me down like nothing else.
Scheduling.
In the broader sense, I’ve stopped overscheduling myself. There are a lot of things I like to do, but I realized doing too much makes me move too fast. So, I’ve cut back a little. I realized that peace means more than anything and sacrificing my mental health to feel “ahead of the game” was helping everyone else but myself — so, I stopped. Plus, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.
Have a cup of tea.
Have a cup of coffee, hot chocolate, cider, or any drink that makes you feel cozy, even when it’s warm out! There is no such thing as a seasonal drink. Having a warm cup of hot chocolate is a sure way to slow myself down, even in the middle of the summer. I love taking a break to go sit at a coffee shop to spend time with myself, write, or get work done. I get to people watch and realize in the moment just how precious life truly is. Taking a moment in the beginning, middle, or end of the day to just sit and reflect, is one of my favorite ways to slow down.
Stay up a little later.
This may be a hot take, but sleeping seems like the quickest way to make life go by faster. So, sometimes I like to stay up just a little bit later. Just like I’m doing right now as I write this — sitting by a lit candle and watching a holiday movie. Life feels so slow when you don’t take time into consideration. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
Take yourself on a date.
This is one I emphasize so much. Go see a movie in the theater, take yourself to dinner, have a picnic, or get a mani-pedi — do something for yourself. Spend time with yourself. Not only does it slow down time, but it is one of the strongest forms of self-care. Instead of “running errands” I spend time going to different stores to spend a little time with myself and a little money on myself too. Doing something as simple as that, has led me to discover so many new things about myself by simply trying new things. Spending time with yourself truly helps to slow down time, and helps you find out things about yourself that you’ve been missing.
Just … slow down.
You aren’t required to live your life in a hurry, and for the longest time, I thought you were. As a previous business major, there never seemed to be enough time for anything. I was in more than three different student organizations and on the executive board for two of them. Even as a freshman I was being told that I needed to apply to all of these internships and professional development opportunities.
Things were happening so quickly, and I had just got to college. That life may be for some people, but it just wasn’t for me. I desperately needed to slow down, so I did, and now I plan to keep up with my slow life ultimately as a librarian in a small town. It’s important to not let life pass you by, although of course this isn’t the case for everyone.
In the end, slow down sometimes, and quite literally smell the roses. Take in your surroundings, have a cup of tea, go see a movie, stay up just a little bit later, light a candle, and read a book. Taking a break is an art. Practice slowing down because life does move fast whether we like it or not.