In this post I will talk about the new fashionable lifestyle Slow life. We all live in constant bustle, stress and haste. Most We spend our lives at work. We are used to this and consider it normal.

Agree, from childhood we were taught to think that our personal life, our sleep, hobbies and holidays We must adapt to the relentless work schedule! But who said that this is the norm?

Have you noticed that lately everything large quantity people are thinking about the question: “How to get out of the matrix and become free?”

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I first thought about this question several years ago, when I was working at a large bank on a large IT project. At that time, I worked incredibly hard with the whole team. We all strived to bring something new, complex, and perfect into this world. We introduced several programs that would make the work of bank employees easier, and provide clients with the opportunity for fast, comfortable and convenient service. It sounded inspiring.

But you yourself know how difficult it is to strive upward all the time. There comes a moment of simply physical lack of energy for oneself and family and, in the end, burnout and apathy. In motivational management there is even such a term as “professional burnout.”

It turned out that I was not the only one who began to think about the fact that it is possible to live and work differently, without haste. Due to the fact that for many years in all developed countries the idea was cultivated that one had to live quickly, study a lot, work hard to get high paying job, many people eventually succumbed to the stress and tension.

People began to wonder why they would get so much money if, due to their constant work, they had no time to spend it.

Like these people, I began to look for ways to get out of the matrix and become a free person. I liked the idea of ​​a new fashionable lifestyle slow life (slow life).

This concept, founded by Canadian writer and journalist Carl Honoré, invites you to stop rushing, work less and start living to the fullest.

“This is the connection between climate, seasonality of products, knowledge of the farmer, methods of harvesting, subsequent processing, cost of processing, transportation, as well as the attitude of the seller to the product - thousands of small steps that are taken on the path of the product from field to plate,” Richard describes the intricacies of the system McCarthy, executive director of Slow Food USA.

Adherents of the movement propose turning the process of eating food into a meditative hobby - akin to embroidery. Agree, it is difficult to guess the taste of familiar products blindfolded, because we rarely concentrate on sensations. But once you slow down your chewing speed, it turns out that the taste of the dish is mediocre, and you never liked hamburgers in general.

Of course, during the meal there should be no distractions - neither TV nor gadgets. It has been proven that when multitasking, a person does not control satiety and eats more than he should.

Don't grab everything at once

A study conducted at the University of Hertfordshire showed that city dwellers move 10% faster than villagers. And the speed is only growing.

Life in the Slow Life style does not call for abandoning the achievements of modernity and exchanging the metro for a walk to the other end of the city. If you can efficiently handle a lot of things in a short time, great. It’s another matter if such a situation is a lot of stress for you. In this case, you need to get rid of vain multitasking.

“Multitasking actually slows you down, increasing the risk of error,” says Professor David E. Meyer, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Michigan. “Any interference has a negative impact on our ability to process information.”

No need to go deep Scientific research to understand a simple truth: in the cycle of affairs it is very difficult to do everything well. Measured and thoughtful execution of the most ordinary actions teaches you to concentrate, this is the key to high efficiency.

Plan your time and space

Pay attention to your surroundings. Slowlifers are sure: creative chaos is just an excuse for laziness. It is with the organization of space around yourself that the organization of your time begins.

Adherents of measured life advocate timing without fanaticism. Something will always disrupt the schedule, but this is not a reason to give up. Rush job prevented you from taking time to learn the language? It's OK. Work today, and transfer education to tomorrow, simply increasing the number of hours.

Learn to relax

Slowlifers suggest giving up gadgets while on vacation. If you don’t turn off your phone, then at least turn off the notification sound. Likes and comments, of course, stimulate a feeling of joy, but at the same time they cause addiction and distract from less joyful, but more necessary things.

Read more

The philosophy of slow life is not to do everything at a snail's pace, but to try to do everything at the right speed. Do it as well as you can, not as fast as you can.

Having fun in the slowlife style means enjoying what is happening, and not frantically clicking a photo in order to quickly post it on social networks.
By the way, the principles of slow living formed the basis of the concept of Soneva hotels in the Maldives and Thailand. The territory is organized in such a way that you can move around barefoot and feel the warmth natural materials. Particularly popular activities include “relaxing on your own beach” and “napping under the stars.”
Do not worry

The world will not collapse, even if in search of your slow-style you slow down to the point of indecency. But such an experience can become a necessary reboot. And as a side effect you will learn to understand your own hunger, eat and not gain weight.

Start living at a pace that allows you to enjoy everything you do.

What do passion for urban vegetable gardens and love for... home canning, the revival of vinyl records and new popularity old crafts? These are all ways to cope with the same problem: the frantic rhythm modern life.

Making your own jam from fresh berries gives you a feeling of satisfaction knowing that you were able to create something that you usually buy in a store. Knitting a scarf on the train helps you to distract yourself and prevent yourself from cluttering this time with unnecessary information.

But knitting and cooking aren't the only ways to help yourself slow down a little. You can start today by simply raising your head and looking at the clouds.

Why slow down?

Perhaps it’s better to ask yourself, why are we in such a hurry? There's no need to go at a snail's pace, of course, but slowing down just enough to move mindfully through the day can help soothe frazzled nerves, strengthen personal bonds and, paradoxically, make you feel like you've got so much more to do while everyone else is rushing around. time.

Where to begin

The first step is to recognize that a calm rhythm of life is available to each of us. If you consider yourself a busy person right now, you may feel like you don't have time to slow down - but don't be fooled, you can always slow down a little, even if you have a hundred things to juggle.

Start small! Select just a couple of items from our proposed list and try to follow the recommendations today.

The origins of a quiet life

The concept of Slow Living (literally - slow life) grew out of the Slow Food movement, which appeared in Italy in the 1980s thanks to Carlo Petrini.

The point of this movement is to help people rediscover the value of the mindful act of eating and talking over lunch, and stop eating on the run, which has sadly become the norm.

Slow Food is the antidote to fast food. And Slow Living involves reducing the rhythm of life so much that you can again enjoy all aspects of it: food, work, free time.

What to do with food

• Always sit at the table and eat from your plate, even if you get takeout.
• Take a deep breath before you eat.
• Put down your phone, laptop, book and give your attention to every bite you put into your mouth.
• Invite coworkers over for lunch instead of eating alone at your desk.
• Try to gather the whole family for dinner.

What else can you do

Daily commuting to work does not add peace of mind to our lives. Try changing your routine a little or doing without your usual amenities altogether. Think, maybe you could ride a bike or scooter to work instead of a car, or even walk? Should you try taking public transport or asking your boss to let you work from home a couple of days a week?

If you're currently spending a lot of time getting to work and the commute is exhausting, you might want to start looking for a job closer to home. Even if now you can’t change the way you drive, try to simplify the task for yourself in some way: for example, leave early to avoid traffic jams, and if you already get up, meditate or listen to audiobooks.

Turn everyday chores into a ritual

We all have our daily tasks: make coffee, cook food, wash the dishes, make the bed. Choose one thing and try to perform this action as consciously as possible. Making tea or coffee will help you relax during the day if you measure calmly and thoughtfully required quantity brew, carefully pour water into it and inhale the aroma of the drink before each sip.

Even if you are terribly busy the rest of the time, this one ritual will have a cumulative effect and soon you will feel that there is much more in your life. more peace and peace of mind.

Spend your time on hobbies, not on TV

It’s also not worth spending it on checking email, posting on social networks and shopping online. It's amazing how much time these empty activities take away from us! Sometimes we feel like we don't have time for our own hobbies, but the truth is that we simply refuse to spend time on them.

Try choosing one day a week when you consciously turn off all distracting technology and do only what you love. It doesn’t matter what it will be - knitting, playing musical instrument or writing a novel - devote at least one evening a week to your hobby and this will already be enough to feel the changes.

Try to get a little bored

Spiritual teacher and Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh says that being truly lazy is quite difficult:

“Doing nothing and just enjoying yourself and everyone around you is a whole science, because each of us has a lot of energy that constantly makes us jump up and start doing something. We can no longer just sit or lie down and enjoy ourselves and the beauty of the sky. We get nervous when we don't do anything."

Think about these words the next time you feel a little bored. Try not to rush to do something else, but turn your attention inward, to what you feel, what color the sky is, what the light looks like and the people around you.

Make the holidays easier

If there's a time we can all slow down a little, it's the holidays. Don't give in to the calls to run, run, run and buy, buy, buy. Instead of spending money for expensive bouquets, why not pick wildflowers that grow right next to your house? Or not make a gift with your own hands, instead of simply buying it in a store? Of course, sometimes the most appropriate option is to buy something online, rather than rush into a crowded shopping mall. If possible, use your free time to drink a cup of cocoa.

Learn to raise children calmly

When children run from school to sports activities, then to extra lessons, then spend all their free time doing their homework or staring at the screen, of course, they (and you too) end up antsy and tired. Instead of filling every second of their life, try to set aside some time when the child will not sit in the arms of technology and at the same time will not be obliged to do anything specific, even if sometimes you have to miss some developmental activities or refuse an interesting invitation

Even if at first the child complains of boredom, soon he will definitely find something to do with himself. You can buy toys that are not programmed for a certain development of events (for example, pencils, wooden blocks and sets with which you can build something), invite your child to take a walk on the nearest playground, or go together to discover new surrounding places.

Create something yourself

Making something yourself that you usually buy in a store gives you a feeling of incredible satisfaction, often costs nothing and can easily replace more familiar leisure activities like a movie or dinner at a restaurant. It's even better if you can attract friends. Bake bread, make jam, beer or even soap, knit hats, sew napkins - whatever!

We work on vacation, scroll through the news feed in the toilet, have a snack on the go, watch a movie and read a book at the same time. “Minimum time, maximum efficiency” is the mantra of our time. We don’t even notice that the more we rush, the less time we have.

Proponents of the slow life culture live by the principle of “slow down to speed up.” They consciously gave up the race and try to enjoy every moment of life.

What is "slow motion"

“Slow movement”, or slow life, originated in 1986, when journalist Carlo Petrini opposed the opening of a McDonald’s restaurant in Piazza di Spagna in Rome. As a sign of protest, he organized a banquet in the same square with eating traditional Italian food.

Despite the fact that McDonald’s did open, the Italian’s efforts were not in vain: the letter M, the traditional golden arch, was made several times smaller. In addition, thanks to Petrini, a movement called “slow food” or “slow food” was formed. Its supporters oppose tasteless fast food and call for relaxation at least at the dinner table.

Now the “slow movement” has more than a dozen directions. In addition to “slow eating”, there is the same education, aging, science, medicine, fashion, reading, the city, money, television, travel and so on. Many organizations were opened within the movement. Among the most influential are the American Foundation “Extend the Moment”, the European Society for Time Dilation, the Japanese Club of Slowness, and the World Institute of Slowness.

The number of adherents of this culture is growing.

What do they stand for?

Supporters of slow life do not approve of the accelerated pace of life and consider it meaningless and imposed. In their opinion, the loser is not the one who works little, but the one who fills his schedule to capacity and is always in a hurry.

“Whoever is in a hurry is forced to slide along the surface. We have no time to look into the deeper meanings, to build relationships with the world and people,” wrote the ideologist of the “slow movement” Carl Honoré in the book “No fuss. How to stop rushing and start living."

Honoré believes that people work hard to create the illusion of vigorous activity, to emphasize their importance or to forget about everyday problems. At the same time, he does not call for abandoning civilization and going to live in the forest. "Slowlifers" are ordinary people who want to live well in a fast-moving world. modern world. The philosophy of movement comes down to finding balance.

When you need to hurry, hurry. But when you don't have to rush, slow down.

Why it's worth a try

The race to get ahead is inevitably accompanied by stress, insomnia, and digestive disorders. According to statistics Stress facts American Psychological Association, 75% of American adults experience moderate and high level stress every month.

Chronic stress increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels, reduces concentration and impairs work digestive system, causes .

Lack of sleep destroys the nervous and immune system, causes diabetes and heart disease, provokes irritability and depression. Once you get carried away with fast food, headaches, acne, excess weight, blood pressure and “bad” cholesterol levels will increase.

The love of haste also ends in death.

According to Speed ​​regulation According to the World Health Organization, 3,000 people die and 100,000 are seriously injured every day due to speeding on roads. In Japan, 2,000 people suffer from work-related stress every year.

Science and statistics are on the side of the “slow”. They enjoy life more and get sick less because they avoid stress and try to live every moment.

How to join

There is no universal rule for “slowing down.” The tips below will help you understand in which direction you can work.

How to eat

• Avoid fast food and processed foods like frozen lasagna and pizza. As a last resort, snack on fruit. vegetable salads, nuts.
• Don't eat on the go.
• Love cooking. It's akin to meditation.
• Get ready full meals from fresh products.
• Make it a habit to have dinner with your family at a common table, rather than alone in front of the computer.

How to work

• Work so that you have time for yourself and your family.
• Learn to say no.
• , if you've been wanting it for a long time.
• Set aside 10 minutes a day for meditation or 20 minutes for an afternoon nap. This improves productivity and concentration. This is what John Kennedy, Thomas Edison, Napoleon Bonaparte, and John Rockefeller did.
• Insights come in a relaxed state. In the shower, on a walk, during meditation, while jogging, before bed. The brain goes into slow mode, releasing long alpha and theta waves.
• Take weekends without feeling guilty.
• Don't work on weekends or vacations.

How to relax

• Walk. Walking improves your health, calms your mind, allows you to notice many details along the way and builds a relationship with the world.
• Allow yourself to be idle. Remember that Charles Darwin worked 4 hours a day, and Albert Einstein lay in his office for hours and did nothing.
• Don’t try to cram all the entertainment into one evening: a movie, a concert, and a book.
• Take a walk in nature. A walk in the forest is the best antidepressant. Phytoncides contained in trees and plants increase the body's defense response, improve well-being, and lower blood pressure.
• Do some crafts, gardening, or find something else to do that relaxes.

How to exercise

• Don't squeeze yourself to the limit during training. Sport should fill you with energy, and not turn you into a disabled person.
• Remember that fat is burned at a heart rate of 70-75% of maximum. This occurs when walking or jogging quickly. If the pulse is higher, then the body begins to consume carbohydrates.
• Before you start mastering a difficult exercise, make sure your body is ready for it.
• Try slow sports: yoga, qigong, Pilates. They are available to everyone.

How to have sex

• Fast is not always good, but often bad. On average, sex lasts from 3 to 7 minutes, and a woman needs 10–20 minutes to warm up.
• Try tantric sex. To do this, one does not necessarily become a religious adept.
• If you are categorically against esoteric practices, then simply enjoy the process.

How to drive a car

• Use the machine only when absolutely necessary. Most places can be reached on foot or by public transport.
• Do not hurry. At a speed of 80 km/h you will travel 4 km in 3 minutes. At a speed of 130 km/h - a minute less. What will you do with this minute?
• If you get cut off, get over it. There is no need to catch up with the driver or yell at him through open window and cut back.

No general formula slowdowns for all occasions. You have to decide where to slow down. The only thing that can stop you is greed, habits and fear of falling behind. It takes courage to give up speed. However, now you know that procrastination is normal and even beneficial.

Our age of rapid speed, where we need to do a lot, overtake everyone and rise as high as possible, controls our lives and does not give us time to stop and just enjoy this moment.

We have forgotten how to live consciously. Movement Slow Life calls for a return to ourselves, a free decision to choose our own rhythm of life. Doing everything slowly, thoughtfully, getting to the heart of events and enjoying simple things - this is what the philosophy is based on "slow life"

SlowFood - “slow” food

It is not surprising that it was in Italy that war was declared FastFood– fast, monotonous food in a hurry, because Italians are famous for their ability to feel every minute of life. Live in style Slow Food- means eating tasty, varied, beautifully, with pleasure and without haste.

Cook more often yourself, using natural, environmentally friendly products, engage in joint preparation of food and its absorption in the company of friends and relatives, enjoy both the cooking process and the taste of food, eat in accordance with national traditions.

A person is very closely connected with the territory where he was born, so the most natural and beneficial for him are products of local origin. In Russia the movement SlowFood supports the Ulitka restaurant chain (the name speaks for itself - don’t rush!).

"Slow Food"- this is a thoughtful attitude towards food, conscious pleasure, which gives the opportunity to communicate with friends, meet new people, and indulge in doing nothing. Italians have one interesting feature - they know how to make a holiday out of nothing: invite neighbors, prepare a simple table and throw a feast - any of us who know how to be happy can do this.

Slow Art - “slow” art

Living slowly means being able to enjoy art without rushing. One of the principles of such a life is not to attend cultural events in a hurry, “for show.” Don’t rush in the hope of having time to visit 4 museums a day, because such an acquaintance with beauty will not allow you to fully enjoy and be imbued with its spirit.

It is better to choose one museum per week and slowly wander through its halls, stopping and studying several objects in detail. One must slowly read great books, slowly contemplate great paintings, slowly listen to great music.

Slow Tourism - “slow” tourism

How do many tourists travel? They drive along the road and stop only in places where there are “ good views", take a photo - and get back into the car. This is not how to enjoy the journey, say supporters "slow" life. You need to get acquainted with each new place slowly, imbued with its spirit and atmosphere: you need to immerse yourself in the environment, communicate with local people and move forward, following your intuition.

If we have a map in our hands, and a well-thought-out travel plan in our heads (2 hours here, 3 hours here), we lose the ability to be spontaneous and unpredictable, and our journey becomes ordinary, and not individual, “ours.” Spending time on contemplation, perceiving the road not as a way to “arrive at the place”, but as an exciting part of the journey, are the key conditions for “slow” tourism.

Philosophy Slow

It's not about becoming an amoeba, but about not destroying or rejecting anything for the sake of speed. "Slow" life prefers the best to the fast, quality to quantity, life in its own rhythm to speed imposed from the outside. Activities should be selective, without fuss and haste.

Even if the crazy life of travel, work, and household chores does not allow you to relax, you can still choose 15 minutes between tasks and just sit in silence, leaving all thoughts, breathe, calm down, and “recharge.”

Choosing a slower pace of life gives us the opportunity to ask for help rather than putting everything on our shoulders. We help each other, sympathize and become more tolerant of other people's weaknesses. Is it possible to do everything without giving up anything? I guess it's yes. Except one. We will not have time to realize the miracle of life and enjoy it to the fullest.

How to live in the Slow Life style?

We all want to be happy and enjoy this limitless feeling. But many of us are so accustomed to the eternal rush and time pressure that if suddenly they get two weeks of vacation and freedom to do nothing, they will experience panic - how is this done?

We are always busy with something and don't know how to relax, and some of us feel happier at work than at home. We spend our weekends doing not what we really like, but in everyday worries: preparing soup for the week, cleaning the apartment, washing, ironing, and in the evening, exhausted, stretching out on the sofa in front of the TV. And this is how the whole life goes.

How to start practicing slow living?

You just need to ask yourself the question: “What do I want right now? What will make me happy? And answer yourself honestly, and then take your time, enjoying every movement, enjoying the process of doing it. In style Slow Life.

He who is in no hurry succeeds

We all know popular expression: "The quieter you go, the further you'll get". And indeed it is. The more we rush, the more often we don't have time. Days and weeks pass so quickly, as if they never happened. The sun is getting warmer - we don’t see it, the buds are swelling on the trees - we don’t notice, the children are growing up - we are surprised later when this happened. To change the situation, movement Slow life offers us the following rules of life:

Don't rush - then you'll have time

Don’t constantly look at the clock, and on weekends, forget about it altogether, listening to the rhythms of your own body

Inner peace leads to better concentration and increased efficiency

Work should inspire, not exhaust.

He who lives slowly lives longer

When we are afraid of losing time, we waste it

The process is much more important than the result

Don't burden yourself with excessive worries

Learn to ask for help.

Not to live for something, but just to live

Managing your time correctly, not becoming a hostage to your affairs, choosing the rhythm of your life for each day yourself - this is not all that style offers Slow life. He teaches us to take a broader look at the world, to see what surrounds us, to understand how much is given to man. It is this feeling of unity with the world that gives inspiration. Instead of a feeling of loneliness, the joy of merging appears, instead of fear comes trust, instead of selfishness comes love. How can this be applied in life? Guided by simple principles:

Watch sunrises and sunsets more often

Learn to hear the stars

Taste what you eat

Communicate with nature, but don't walk with a specific purpose, otherwise you sacrifice the walk itself

Play and imagine

If you're walking next to someone, don't think about what to say.

Walk with children, watch them, learn from them

Speak slowly and meaningfully

Divide big things into small ones

When you are worried and anxious, stop and breathe slowly

Enjoy the art slowly

Spend time alone, without TV or Internet

1. Do not do all the work at once, distributing it evenly. You need to do household chores gradually, that is, do not put off cleaning the entire house, washing and ironing for one day, but do everything by day of the week: dust the furniture on Monday, do laundry on Tuesday, vacuum cleaner on Wednesday, wash the floors on Thursday etc. Or, if the house is large, assign each room its own cleanliness day. This way we will save energy.

2. Do things you love and get a charge of vigor and inspiration from it. To fill yourself with creative energy and strength, you need to turn what you love into your work or at least a hobby: embroidery, yoga, modeling, writing a novel, macrame, drawing, growing flowers. By doing something, being in the flow of creativity, we do not lose strength, but replenish their reserves, becoming truly happy.

3. Limit intake unnecessary information into your life: cleanse it of excess television programs, phone complaints from friends, mindless browsing of Internet sites, learn to enjoy peace and quiet.

4. Do not attend more than one event per day, observe moderation: do not go to the cinema in the morning, then to the attractions, then to the exhibition, or to the theater in the evening. Let the impression of the film remain for the whole day, let the book reveal its secrets little by little, let the exhibition inspire you to take time for silence and your own creativity.

5. Communicate with those you love, not just out of habit. Realize how much you are needed, feel and show your love, take care of loved ones, arrange holidays for them, have heart-to-heart conversations and spare no time for tenderness.

Savor every minute

The smooth flow of life helps us get more done. It should not be confused with thoughtless idleness. Consciously living people do this meaningfully, “savoring” every minute, as a result of which additional energy appears, harmony and happiness are born. Practice "slow" life may not solve all problems, but it will show us the perfection of the world, its beauty and infinity, expand the boundaries of our capabilities and help create islands of peace in a changing and developing life.

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