Slow Living, Fast Cities

Slow living is weekends in Alibaug. It’s retiring to a villa in South Goa. It’s also taking your time to drink your filter coffee. To be selective with activities that promote a slower pace for the sake of our mental health is trending, and we love it.  

Here’s the catch – you don’t have to live slowly only for a few months a year, or once a week. This can be a lifestyle and is becoming for those to strive to create a balance in their fast and big city lives.  

Time is a non-renewable resource so how we choose to spend it is incredibly important. Hustling, having a jam-packed schedule or being productive all the time does not guarantee success. Slow living is a challenge to the idea of being "on" and that life is an endless race (remember, the turtle wins in the end?). Mindfulness can be a choice that you make every day in your daily habits; it’s a curve you can add to your groove. Finish your task list, be ambitious but with purpose and not at the cost of self-care.  

Ways to live slowly in a fast city:  

Switch to a bamboo toothbrush 

It’s the little things that matter – a bamboo toothbrush is a small gesture in the large fight against plastic waste. Slow living is also about sustainability, minimalism, and yet again, intentions. 

Take a self-guided tour 

Be a tourist in your own city and walk with curiosity and more often than not, you will discover something new and notice what’s been there for years, but you haven’t had the time to check it out. 

Converse more, look at your phone less  

Increase human interaction and develop the ability to be present in the moment. A study by psychologist Arthur Aron lists 36 questions and the fashion in which they should be answered. People who tried it said that they fell back in love or cried or saw new perspectives of those they’ve known for years. 

Indulge in grandma hobbies  

Knitting, quilting, and crocheting are pillars of positivity. To develop patience is slow living at its finest. 

Add houseplants to your living space 

Rebuild a relationship with nature whilst surrounded by concrete. Whether you have a balcony or not, we recommend Monstera as a great beginner and indoor plant. Think about it as urban gardening.  

Henri Matisse in front of Monstera plants.

Go bird watching 

Spotting birds and identifying their species is an edu-recreational activity that knows no geographical boundaries. Do some research about which birds are local to your city or to where you are travelling and then set off.  

Build a Lego 

Lego is an easy way to bunker down and get a sense of accomplishment. Pick something you like – maybe flowers you can use as decor – put on background music and unwind. Lego has suggested projects that help adults relax. 

Instead of buying bread, bake it 

Creating from scratch is slow living. This is a great weekend activity to set you up for the week and  

Wake up to a sweet alarm 

The first thing you hear when you wake up should not be sirens that cause panic about being late or sounds that surge your anxiety. Switch to a slow, beautiful song and start your morning more mindfully.  

Monotask over multitask  

Most of us pride ourselves on being the best jugglers of duties, but it’s become tougher to do one thing at a time than many together. Build up your capacity to focus by slowing yourself down.  

Use traffic lights as meditative moments  

If you’re at a stop signal, take the very few seconds you get to breathe and be grateful for a moment of rest. Whether you’re running late or not, being grateful to stop will not delay you but rather make the rest of the commute calmer.