Slow Living

I consider myself to be someone who values efficiency and getting things done in an optimized manner. To be able to do so, I often multitask. For instance, I make sure to turn on the coffee machine before I start toasting a bread, so they finish around the same time. Similarly, I like to start the rice cooker before taking a shower, ensuring that the rice is cooked by the time I'm done. I do grocery shopping online. I use a pickup and delivery service for my laundry. I hire services that would save me some time and focus on more important tasks.

My friends often see me as someone who's always on the go and doesn't like to slow down — someone who tends to operate at a faster pace compared to others in our circle. In turn, I am also that someone who's more susceptible to burnout, but also the fastest to bounce back. Always on the move. Restless.

Slowing down, I discovered, is such a luxurious way of living. It is precisely this kind of luxury that I both desire and require at this point. I have learned that rushing through tasks is not the sole means of maximizing productivity in a day. Adopting a slower, more deliberate approach to things brings the same benefit — with an added bonus of calmness.

Here's how I embrace slow living lately...

• Running. Well, running always brings me peace. When my head is full of thoughts, running helps create mental space. I often take advantage of it, as I become more mindful, running gives me something more than I thought it could.
• Meditation. This is something I have yet to master. As a naturally anxious person (lol), meditation and breathing exercises calm me. However, if I feel alright, I don't engage in it, which leads to a loss of the discipline I strive to maintain. I have always known to be someone who has trouble sleeping as well — with or without coffee so might as well have some (lol). I discovered that doing meditation before bedtime helps me fall asleep faster than usual.
• Reading a book + coffee. Working remotely for almost four years has created a bad habit of waking up just a few minutes before work, leaving no time to enjoy the morning. Recently, I've been breaking this bad habit by waking up earlier than usual to read a book and have a cup of coffee. Ahhhh, such a calming feeling.
• Longer showers. Yes, I sometimes rush through showers because my mind constantly drifts towards unfinished tasks, such as work and school-related matters. Taking longer showers while mindfully using good-quality bath products has become a source of enjoyment for me.
• Me time. Ohh, how I love the period after work, dinner, and the end-of-the-day shower when I can finally sit down, light a candle (or three, lol), perform my skincare routine, play soothing music, and indulge in reading once more. I lie in bed with Pancho and Pluto, simply enjoying the comfortable silence. I believe this perfectly embodies the concept of Danish hygge.

Oh how I love this life.

More soon. X