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I spoke to a friend this week who, after six weeks at a much slower pace, said ‘I haven’t felt this relaxed in all of my adult years!’. Her comment really got to me. What was it about a global pandemic that made her feel relaxed?

Because although many of us have felt extremely stressed and are suffering due to death, illness, job loss, and more, some of us have actually thrived during our time in quarantine. 

We’ve felt relaxed, really relaxed, for the first time in a very long time. 

For six weeks we’ve had nowhere to go, and nothing to do. Yes, we’ve still had to keep our households running, but even that has been on a slower, easier schedule.

Many of us have actually experienced a reduction in stress and anxiety.

And, as I said previously, any and all feelings are valid right now. Including the fear of going back to the crazy-busy life you might have been living before COVID.

If you are like my friend, longing to hang on to the slower pace for a bit longer, then you might benefit from keeping some of the things you’ve grown accustomed to in your quarantine. 

Under-schedule

Some people thrive on a busy schedule. But what’s become apparent during this time, is that even these folks, prone to over-scheduling, have seen the benefits of a slower pace.

You may not be able to change the amount of time you spend working, in fact, many people will be working longer hours in order to relieve the financial burden of the pandemic. But you can control the remaining time you have. 

So perhaps pause before going back to all the extracurricular activities for the kids. There’s a good chance they will have developed fantastic creative and independent play skills over the last couple of months. This could be a great time to foster those skills by allowing more free time at home.

Read: Family life doesn’t need to be so busy

Dress with less

I know many of you have spent more than a few days in your pajamas. And for those of us who did get dressed, things were pretty casual. In fact, I’ve worn the same few things over and over again (and cleared out my closet again!).

Having less in our wardrobes means less variety, which can be scary at first. But eventually, it means less stress, less decision making, and more freedom. 

If you want to find out more about how to dress with less, I highly recommend checking out Courtney Carver’s capsule wardrobe challenge, Project 333. The challenge invites you to try going for 3 months with only 33 items to choose from. And yes, it includes shoes and jewelry!

Read: Outfit Repeater’s Club: embracing the joy and ease of dressing with less

Make time for creative endeavors

A slower pace has been a chance for many to reconnect with their long-lost creativity. Many of us have painted, built things, cross-stitched, and baked sourdough. 

The act of creating something from nothing is one of the best slow activities. It requires a specific mindfulness mindset. A real focus on the present. When we are in this creative space, we will often find ourselves feeling relaxed and calm.

Whatever creative activity you have taken up, make a pact with yourself to continue it. Even if you only manage to fit in half an hour a week. 

Prioritize what matters, eliminate the rest

I’d say we’ve had some good practice at this over the last wee while. Early on in our lockdown, when my anxiety was peaking, it was all I could do to ensure my family was fed. Forget about making sourdough bread, or using the time to learn a new skill. Some days I celebrated things like having a clean kitchen bench and getting some sunlight.

I guess that’s what a global pandemic, or any major traumatic life event does. It magnifies the important things, and everything else pales in significance. 

When severe illness and death becomes a real threat, things that we thought were important suddenly feel trite and insignificant. And although we don’t want to live in threat of illness or death, the clarity it can bring can be life changing.

Spend some time evaluating what really matters and start prioritizing it. This might mean scheduling a family day, or weekend once a month. Perhaps it means committing to walking more regularly. Or maybe you need to cancel the Netflix subscription and finish writing the book. Oops, that’s me I’m talking to.

Say NO more often

Yes, I know, I know, you’ve heard it from me before. But I’m not giving up. Because it’s important. 

You need to know it’s okay to say NO. You do not have to do all the things.

When you start saying no to things you don’t really have time or money for, or simply don’t want to do, you start to get control of your life again. 

For us people-pleasers, who hate rocking the boat, NO can be almost like a swear word. But I promise once you start practicing you’ll get more comfortable with it.

I had the opportunity to practice during lockdown, and said no to a piece of work that came my way. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been practicing saying no for years now, or if it was the clarity lockdown was giving me, but the decision was easy. While the money would have been nice, it didn’t fit into my overall ‘why’, and I wouldn’t have been as available for my kids at a difficult time. 

If your country is easing back into ‘normality’ I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you’ve felt relaxed during this time, how does it feel as the appointment and meetings start to pile up? 

You are welcome to share what you and your family will do to resist going back to ‘crazy-busy’. 

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The Slow Living Tool Kit was created with YOU in mind. If you are feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of returning to pre-COVID life, that crazy-busy pace – then this course will help you to slow down.

Find out more about what the course covers, and sign up HERE.