Slowing down helps you to connect with yourself and to take care of yourself properly. You have to take care of your own body and mind. So in this article I’d like to share my tips on slow living and self-care.

Why do we have to slow down more?

I think it’s very typical of our western world in nowadays society to have the feeling you’re in a constant rush. Do you have that feeling? Do you hear people answering the question “how are you?” with “busy”? Or do you maybe do this yourself too?

We are always busy doing something. Maybe it’s not all that productive, however, we are still always doing things. How many of us can travel from A to B, whether it’s long or short distance, and do nothing but traveling? We use our phones, work on our laptops, we go online shopping or compare ourselves on social media. 

And even in hour personal lives we tend to plan a lot in one day. Work, sports, coffee dates, dinner dates, social media, catching up on series. And the saddest of all, when you don’t, you’ll feel an outsider.

Have you been here? Or are you still doing this?

I did, two years ago. And even though I learnt from my mistakes and now know how to relax, I still make some of the same mistakes and don’t slow down enough.

But remember, you need space to feel how you really feel. You need time to breathe and time to refuel your energy. But how can we do this, if the world expects something different from us? I’ve incorporated some practical preventions and habits into my life, and those I will share with you.

My 5 tips and tricks for slow living and self-care

1. Switch of all the notifications on your phone. You might have heard this one before, but seriously, it’s one of the best things ever. I have switched of everything. So I don’t receive notifications on Instagram, Telegram, Pinterest, whatsoever. It’s great to not be stimulated all the time to have a look on your phone and the apps that ask for your attention.

2. Delete all the apps you don’t need. I have very little apps on my phone. When I still had Facebook, I deleted the app as well as the one of Facebook Messenger. This gave me so much space, not only actual space on my phone, but also in my head. So consider deleting apps you don’t need, or apps that you feel addicted to.

3. Plan blocks into your weeks where you don’t plan anything. We tend to fill up every spare time we have, but then there’s no time to really relax. I don’t say that you are not allowed to do anything during these blocks; I think it’s just good to not have plans sometimes and see what you want to do on that moment. Maybe you want to read a book, or maybe you want to do sports, or maybe you want to take a nap. Just go ahead. In those blocks you can do everything you feel like doing in that time.

4. Sleep enough. I feel a grandma saying this. But you have to sleep enough, otherwise you can’t continue your beautiful and slow living journey, you need energy for that! 

5. Do not always listen to music. “But do I have to reject music?”- I hear you thinking. No of course not, music is great. But do not fill every silent moment with noise. Your brain needs rest. So try to switch of the radio sometimes, and enjoy the silence. 

Those tips really helped me finding more rest and peace during the day. It helps me to refuel, it helps me to reflect and it helps me to connect and feel. Besides that I try to incorporate at least one slow day, whether it’s a Sunday or a Wednesday, you have to take a break to refuel yourself. Check out my slow Sundays ideas for some inspiration on what to do on your day off.

Do you have any slow living tips? Or do you practice some of mine already? I’d love to hear from you!