Slow Living tips from busy mum of 2 & small biz owner

The idea of slow living is so enchanting. Peaceful mornings baking bread, days spent tending to our home and garden, reading, knitting, and ending with cozy evenings by the fire in our cottage hidden somewhere in the English countryside. Sounds dreamy, and you know when something is too good to be true...

Although by simplifying our lives we can get closer to this ideal life, this is NOT the starting point for many of us. The reality is less picturesque: children, work, house chores, personal frustrations, taking care of others, and, oh, if that's not enough, the sink is full of dishes again, and your car needs an MOT appointment. At the end of a long day, slow living feels like just a faraway dream.

The paradox is that the further away it feels, the more you really need it. I want you to forget all the pretty Pinterest pictures and think about what you can do with your current life to slow down just a little. How can you create at least a few moments of calm in your day and quiet your mind?

I'm a mother of two children and a small business owner, but I have also been practicing simple living for seven years now, which I began after feeling physically and mentally burned out from working excessive hours and being stuck in an unhappy relationship for years.

Today I'm sharing with you a few points of things that you can start doing today to slow down your life and embark on the journey to a simpler, happier life.

1. Be proud of your work. I started with work because we all need to make a living, but our work is often one of the biggest reasons for our stress and frustrations. Try to disconnect from all the workplace drama and simply focus on your work. Do it diligently, with focus and care. Remember, your work is not your personality. Do your best during your work hours, and then close your work computer, go home, and don't let it take up any more mental space and energy than necessary.

2. Single tasking. Naturally, it's impossible to single-task all day, every day. Multitasking has its benefits too. But we get overstimulated if we try to do too many things at a time. It also adds to our mental busyness. Try single-tasking at least once a day, focusing solely on the thing you are doing. It will help to reduce mental clutter and slow down your racing thoughts.

3. Connecting with nature. This is something you hear a lot from me - go out, spend time in the forest, pick blackberries, smell the flowers. I'm a huge advocate of spending time outdoors because it helped me so much, both on my slow living journey and weight-loss journey. Time in nature offers many benefits for the body and mind, and adapting to the peace of nature and following the seasons is one of the simplest, yet best ways to embrace slow living.

4. Simplifying and letting go. I could write a whole book about this point. Cut down spending, simplify your routines, let go of habits and friendships that don't serve you. Reduce clutter in your home, get rid of anything that you haven't used in over a year (unless it has sentimental value like photographs). That old pan that takes up precious space in your cupboard or the jumper you bought on sale but never wore - get rid of it. Review your finances, cut down subscriptions, stop "shopping therapy" - no one improved their life in the long term because they got a new handbag.

These are just a few points that will be a good starting point on your journey to a simpler, happier life, and the best part is - you can act on them now. Once you sort out the mental and physical clutter, stop working more just to spend more, you will be in a much better place mentally and physically, and slow living won't feel like a fantasy world but rather a realistic goal that you have already taken steps toward.

Adriana x