Are you feeling overwhelmed? Like you barely have time to live life because you have so much else to do all the time. Chores that you don't really want to do but do anyway because it's expected of you. Have you considered that there are other ways to go? That there are other lifestyles to adopt to avoid running around in the squirrel's wheel and chasing time all the time. Finding a lifestyle that benefits you and your health. Which makes you relax and enjoy life more by doing things that you love to do. The lifestyle I'm talking about is called Slow Living. It's simply about living life a little more calmly, finding time to discover things and doing things you love to do that promote your health.
So how do you go about it?
I think it won't come as a shock that you first need to review where your time is spent. And if you are like almost everyone else in society, the time will probably go to work, taking care of the home, running errands, shopping, scrolling endlessly on the phone and taking care of the children. I put the children last on the list because it is actually proven through studies that most people do not spend as much time with the children as they would like if they had the choice.
Is it really the case that we don't have time or is it that we prioritize other things instead. Yes, it may have taken a toll on you that I point out that we prioritize other things instead of the children, but hand on heart, can you really say that you don't do anything else. And I don't mean that you might exercise or take solitary walks to cope with being a mother, to recharge the batteries we all need them. I'm talking about the enormously time-consuming work of scrolling on your phone for some kind of info that you'll never remember anyway as soon as you put the phone away. In fact, scrolling isn´t good for our brain (though I won't go into that further here and now).
Is it then possible to break patterns and live a different lifestyle than what you do today?
Yes, fact is it does but you will get to work for it. Nothing comes for free.
Below is a list of steps you can take to change your lifestyle towards a simpler everyday life.
- It's always the same at the top. You need to declutter things that you don't want, need or that just take up unnecessary space in your home and in your mind.
- No point in decluttering if you keep bringing things in, so stop buying what you don't absolutely need.
- Check your computer when you are still in the process of decluttering because even a messy computer affects the lifestyle and mindset.
- Review your finances. How much money you spend on different categories.
- Start slowly but surely changing your habits. Things take time and it takes a long time to change a habitual pattern so you have to really want this to happen.
- Be a good role model for the family and show them and talk to them how important this actually is to you. And yes, include the kids too.
- Replace scrolling on the phone with another activity instead.
- Start writing down everything you do during a day/week and that way you can find out how much time you spend on each thing and which things are positive and which are negative for you. Then start reducing the negative and increasing the positive.
- Think, reflect and write down the goals you have for life. It is easier to work towards something that you can clearly see in front of you. Use pictures if you find it easier. You may be wondering why I didn't put this point higher and it's because if you are very far from the goal you may feel that it is impossible but now you have already started your journey towards a calmer life so now you have probably already started see small changes and if you don't have them hold on because it will come if you persistently work for it.
- Don't give up. Continue forward towards the goals. I believe in you, you just have to believe in yourself.
No one said it would be easy. I said you have to work for it but working hard now may mean you don't have to work as hard later. The fact is that if you change your habits for the better, you can also free up the time you now spend on work for other things instead, for example your children, because when you realize that you don't have to shop all the time, you also don't have to work as hard to maintain that lifestyle. Then you will finally realize that less is more. More free time, more quality time, more of all the positive things in life.
Good luck. Today when you read this was the first day towards a better life for you. Start immediately. You have nothing to lose by moving towards a calmer life with less stress.
Best regards