Hey mama, are you craving a slower life? It’s time to embrace the -ish! Done-ish, Clean-ish, Healthy-ish.
Welcome to How to Live Slow!
I’m excited to let you know, we have launched our YouTube channel, where we talk about all things life and motherhood, through the lens of creating a slow, intentional, simpler life for ourselves, our families and the community around us.
Before I had kids, I got 2 degrees in Business, was practising as a qualified life coach, helping my husband run his business and thought I had things figured OUT! But when we started our family, I felt a little lost. Turns out I wasn’t lost..I was where I was meant to be, it was just unfamiliar territory! Life got busier in some ways, but my world got smaller as I began to finally realise what makes life feel fulfilling and intentional.
I created How to Live Slow to talk about our slow living journey. I also wanted to create an antidote to the increased overwhelm and stress that comes from being a modern mum, so that we can all enjoy time with our families while still finding fulfillment in other areas and aspects of our lives. I am by no means an expert in the art of slowing down, I am still a student of this work, but I want to share the knowledge I have gained along the way with all of you. I’ve been studying slow living and implementing different things in my life since 2011, 9 years ago! There are so many people who have inspired me throughout my journey, including Brooke McAlary from Slow Your Home, the Minimalists, Joshua Becker & Courtney Carver. I’m hoping I can be of service to you in some way and provide some sort of inspiration, or ideas for you to create an intentionally slower family life for yourself.
Slowing Down Seems Impossible!
I know slow living and minimalism can seem a little bit inaccessible to the average mum, even a bit overwhelming. So, I wanted to share with you a version of slow living that is accessible. A version that you can start to work towards, to find some more balance, more work-life flow, more time to enjoy your life, and to capture those special memories, and moments with your family.
Information overload is definitely a thing, not necessarily a bad thing, but it can become a bit toxic, so I’m going to start by sharing a few core points about slow living. You can either watch the video below or if you prefer text, keep reading for the highlights on how to live slow for mums!
1. Make the Choice to Slow Down!
The art of slowing down – living a slow, intentional, minimal lifestyle will lead to moments that provide you with lots of fulfillment. While the concepts are pretty simple, the implementation can get a little tricky, frustrating, and even a little daunting, but slow living is an active choice.
2. Stop Going with the Flow!
When we let life pull us along passively, and we just go with the flow, things can get unintentionally busy..really busy. As women and mothers, we are the ones making the majority of the purchasing and scheduling decisions for our family, and we are potentially the ones that are creating all the busyness. There can be a little bit of guilt and shame that comes up once we realise this, but this is a really powerful realisation, all you need to do to live a slower life is to make some different decisions.
3. We are the key!
Slowing down and slow living is a key factor in helping us to save the environment. If more of us chose an intentionally slower life, we would live more in tune with the seasons, the seasons of nature, and the seasons of our lives. We’d prioritise our time and the way we spend our time to align with our core values. We would consume less, live within our means financially, spend more time with our families, more time doing things that don’t cost a lot of money, more time in nature, more time reading books, and more time pursuing hobbies and activities that don’t necessarily have a productive gain but fill your cup.
4. You are in Control!
When you make the active choice towards slowing down and living a more intentional life, you are less likely to be drawn in by marketing campaigns that target our perceived weaknesses and vulnerable spots. I’m talking about things like the dieting industry because we know these are not the things that provide a satisfying life. Instead, it is actually what we choose to do with these campaigns, and how we use them to enhance our lives that provides the biggest fulfillment and joy.
You are the Matriarch!
So, mama’s it’s time to stop describing ourselves as busy mums and to start being the matriarch of our families that we really deserve to become. If you enjoyed this blog and really felt it resonated with you, I’d love to invite you to join my community. You can subscribe to our YouTube channel where you’ll find even more slow living ideas, tips and discussion. And you can also subscribe below to this blog, and I will be able to send you emails letting you know the latest news and updates, including when new blogs and videos are released.