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Slow Living Getting Started With a More Mindfully Paced Lifestyle

Many of us live with a level of persistent low-grade stress that becomes so normalized that most of the time we don’t even realize it’s there constantly in the back of our heads. Modern life is a challenging time as there are a lot of stresses in our daily lives.

Though most people might not be displaying obvious signs of stress, cortisol wreaks havoc on our mental and physical health over the long term.

Therefore it’s recommended that we make time to clear our minds and bring some peace into our lives, even if we’re not feeling particularly anxious, which also. If you feel like your life is too fast-paced and stressful, here are five tips on how to get started on living a more mindfully paced slower lifestyle.

Focus on Gratitude

There is actually some truth to the fact that millennials and GenZ generations today are less grateful than their baby boomer and GenX counterparts. For most of our lives, our generation has grown up in so much abundance that it would be considered luxurious in many places of the world. As a result, we often take for granted the things that we should be grateful for.

When facing a series of challenges, it can be easy to slip into tunnel vision and focus on what’s going wrong at the expense of noticing what’s going well. Instead, take time to write down just three things each day that you feel grateful for. This can help reinstate a balanced perspective on our day-to-day experience.

Exercise 

Exercise is an important component of any lifestyle, slow-paced or fast. Countless medical research has shown that working out or exercising in any form is great at reducing cortisol which leads to increased stress reduction. Exercise augments our sense of mental well-being as well.

A study by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America states that exercising for just 10 minutes a day can release endorphins in the pituitary gland of the brain, which helps induce a state of mental and physical confidence in the few hours following their release. If doing heavy workouts or traditional exercise is too stressful for you, you can always choose something more relaxing, like yoga.

Keep a journal 

If you’re very private and have a few friends, journaling is a great way to get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper. Writing down our most pressing thoughts and worries daily is similar to talking to someone about them. 

It also gives you a chance to reflect and ponder on the experiences you’re jotting down, helping you form solid opinions. By making time to journal, you’re giving yourself a chance to process your thoughts and feelings and to express them in a safe, private space. 

You can jot down the things bothering you and try to come up with solutions while journaling. Many people who journal find this to be very effective. People usually don’t share their journals with others unless it’s someone very close to them or a therapist.

Set routines

To lead a mindfully paced lifestyle you need a routine, plain and simple. A routine simplifies your life by eliminating many unnecessary random elements from your life and incorporating ones that are beneficial for you. 

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With routines, you have fewer decisions to make, a lesser chance of making mistakes, and, most importantly, have something constantly guiding you forward consistently. It also frees up space in our minds for bigger, more important tasks.

Distance yourself from negative self-talk and beliefs 

To live a mindfully paced lifestyle, you need peace of mind. And to do that the easiest way, you need to distance yourself from negative talk and beliefs. While we can’t necessarily stop ourselves from experiencing negative self-talk and beliefs, we can distance ourselves from them.

Instead of letting the negative talk and belief affect you, calm yourself and try to understand the intent of the instigator trying to rile you up for some purpose. This way, people will have a hard time trying to manipulate you.

Transition Takes Time

Switching from your current fast and loose lifestyle to a slower-paced and mindful one won’t happen overnight.

So don’t expect miracles, and start working slowly towards transitioning your current stressful lifestyle to a slower-paced one. With time you will achieve a level of mental peace few enjoy.

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