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Most of us, if we are honest, are sick and tired of being so busy. We are desperate for a slower pace in what seems to be an ever-increasing fast-paced world.

But what exactly does it take to slow down? To go against the grain and rebel against busy? What actionable steps can you take to find slow in this fast-paced world?

Here are my top 7 go-to’s for living a slower-paced life (and regaining your sanity!)

Say no. A lot.

If you feel like you are constantly on the go then it’s likely you are saying yes to too many things.

Can I offer a gentle reminder? It’s okay to say no.

Don’t worry, it’s a completely normal human trait to want to socially oblige to others. No can feel (and sound) harsh and confrontational and make us feel as though we are risking the relationship with have with others.

But burn-out will be inevitable if you say yes every time. Start practicing with small no’s, like no to the cable salesperson, no to that party you don’t want to go to, and build up to the big no’s.

Start breathing again

When was the last time you checked your breathing? Stop now. Pause. Notice the quality of your breath. Is it deep or shallow? Long or short? How does it make you feel?

Slow breathing, in particular, has been found to correlate with emotional wellbeing and emotional control. I dunno about you but when my kiddo is throwing a trantrum we could both use an extra dose of emotional control!

Care less (about what people think)

It’s hard. We want others to like us. Again, a completely normal human need. We are wired for connection with others and we know that when we like someone it means more connection.

But if we care too much what others think of us we risk diluting who we really are in favor of who we think others want us to be.

And in the striving to be liked and connected it’s possible we’ll just wind up being over-committed, stressed and complaining about how busy we are.

Create something (with your hands)

Creating things, particularly creative endeavors that requires our hands, is an excellent technique for slowing down.

When you create something from scratch (knit a scarf, bake a cake, plant a garden) you need to pay careful attention. You need to come out of auto-pilot mode and go slower than usual.

Creating anything can be an amazing mindfulness technique that can slow your heart rate and decrease stress and anxiety.

Read: How Creating Something Can Help You Slow Down

Join the (slow) movement

The law of averages (and Motivational speaker Jim Rohn) tells us we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.

For example, if you want to have a more positive approach to life you’ll want to surround yourself with people who are already naturally optimistic.

The same applies to slow living. If you want to live a slower pace, make sure you have at least a few people in your life that are living at the pace you desire. They’ll serve as an inspiration and act as a rudder, helping you point your ship in the right direction.

(I recommend following these people and movements to support your slower pace; Brooke McAlary of the Slow Home Podcast, Carl Honore, author of In Praise of Slow, and one of my favorite places online – Becoming UnBusy).

Unplug

Get off social media, get off your phone, in fact – get off anything electronic. For at least a couple of hours a day, or 24 hours a week.

There’s no doubting that our increased connection to the wider world, and the notion that everything is ‘switched on’ 24/7, has made us busier.

Try a hiking date with someone instead of talking on Instagram. Spend a few hours ‘slow cooking’ in the kitchen instead of using your microwave or local takeaway shop. Read a newspaper over coffee instead of scrolling online.

Quit your job

Do you work more than 60 hours a week? In my country (New Zealand), 1 in 5 people who work more than one job are working more than 60 hours a week. And while the average across industries is often seemingly acceptable (43 hours for NZ in 2015), there are some jobs, like truck driving, that demand dangerously high hours from their employees.

I initially wanted to follow that subtitle up with a comment about how just quitting was a bit extreme. But perhaps that’s what you need? If your busyness is making you sick (like it did to me) then you probably need to at least consider cutting back, if not quitting.

Quitting my dream job 3 years ago to seek a slower, simpler life was the best thing I ever did.

What is the ONE thing you can do this week to slow down? I’d love to know.

You are welcome to join the slow and simple community here. We’d love to have you.

If you are looking for more tools to help you in living a slower pace of life I created The Slow Living Toolkit for you. The toolkit is an 8-week self-paced course, jam-packed with strategies to help you live a slower more intentional life.

Find out more & enrol HERE. I’d be honoured to journey with you to a slower pace of life.

Photo by Mitchell Orr