The autumn reset: 7 ways to embrace a slower pace of living

As International Stress Awareness Week and National Self-Care Week both fall in November, this is a good time to turn your thoughts to looking after yourself as the colder, darker days begin.

Embracing a “slow living” mindset could help you to live at a more deliberate, intentional pace, moving away from the pressure to be constantly busy.

Read on to find out more about slow living, and seven ways you could embrace it this autumn.

Making the time and space for a slower life can help you prioritise what matters to you

The concept of slow living began in Italy in the 1980s, starting life as the slow food movement in response to an influx of fast-food outlets. Over the following years, it expanded more widely into other areas of life, such as travel, parenting, and work.

Slow living doesn’t actually mean doing everything slowly or being less productive. Rather, it’s about identifying and recognising what matters to you, and making the time and space for it.

This can help you to find more balance between work and leisure, and responsibilities and rest.

1. Enjoy a mindful start to your morning

This can be a really nice way to start thinking about slow living. Rather than reaching for your phone the second you wake up, give yourself a few minutes to gently shake off your sleep.

Try to get some natural light as soon as you can, as this can help to suppress your sleep hormones and boost your energy. This can be as simple as hanging out the washing or standing at your door as you sip your first cup of tea or coffee of the day.

2. Take a walk without needing a destination

Autumn can be a particularly beautiful time for walking, as the colours of nature start to turn to golds, reds, and bronzes.

Try to find a park or woodland area with plenty of trees and hedgerows, and just enjoy your surroundings, taking in the sights and smells.

You don’t need to count steps, listen to a podcast, or do anything that might feel like you’re multitasking. The walk itself is the event.

3. Turn your mealtimes into an occasion

Slow food is where the whole movement began, so it makes sense to explore this as part of a slow living mindset.

Start to experiment with preparing different meals from scratch, using fresh ingredients – this is the perfect season for homemade soups, stews, and casseroles. Then sit down to eat at your table, rather than in front of the television, and make your meal and family conversation your full focus.

4. Switch off for a while

Phones can be incredibly convenient, but they can also make it difficult to disconnect, with constant notifications, emails, and social media pinging away at you.

Try to allocate some time away from your phone, either for a period of time each day or even for an evening a week, enjoying some non-digital pastimes like reading or playing board games instead.

5. Leave some breathing space in your calendar

If your schedule is packed with commitments, this could be a good opportunity to try to simplify your life. Learning to say no and not feeling as though you need to fill every spare minute can be very liberating. Unstructured time with no plans doesn’t mean it’s time wasted.

6. Rediscover meaningful connections

Technology makes it easy to send a quick message or tap a fast like on social media and feel as though you’ve been “in touch”.

Slow living could help you to reconnect with people in your life, having a telephone conversation, meeting for coffee, or simply going for a walk together.

7. Take up a hobby purely for pleasure

While it’s great to learn a new language or musical instrument, there’s also something to be said for enjoying a pastime in its own right, rather than for “improvement”. Think about what you enjoy that you’d like to spend some more time doing, for example, jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, knitting, or painting.

Get in touch

At Integritas, we always make time to help you with your financial planning. Please email enquiries@integritasfp.co.uk or call 01283 777014.

Please note

This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at individuals only.

All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.