You know that moment when you’re simultaneously chugging lukewarm coffee, answering Slack messages, and mentally drafting your grocery list… only to realize you’ve been using your roommate’s toothbrush for 3 days? 🪒☠️ Yeah, me neither. cough
Let’s get real – I used to wear “busy” like a Gucci belt. My planner looked like a CIA operation log, color-coded to military precision. Then came The Great Burnout of 2022 (complete with stress hives that made me resemble a topographic map). That’s when I discovered slow living isn’t just for Italian grandmothers making Sunday gravy.
The Science of Slow
UC Irvine researchers found constant task-switching drops our IQ more than cannabis use. Let that sink in. 🧠💨 We’re literally dumbing ourselves down trying to “do it all.” Neuroscientist Dr. Amishi Jha’s studies reveal our brains need 23 minutes to refocus after interruptions – meaning your 37 daily Instagram checks are costing you 14.5 cognitive hours.
My Slow Living Experiments
1. The Single-Task Rebellion 🧘♀️
I started eating breakfast without screens. Just me, my avocado toast, and noticing how sunlight moves across my kitchen tiles. Within weeks, I began recalling dreams I hadn’t remembered since childhood.
2. Tech Fasting 📵
Deleted all social apps every Sunday. Discovered parks have these weird green things called “trees.” More shockingly, my anxiety attacks decreased by 68% (tracked via my smartwatch data).
3. Depth Dating 👯♀️
Instead of speed-networking, I started hosting monthly “Conversation Salons” – 3-hour dinners with 4 strangers discussing single topics like “The Psychology of Nostalgia.” Made more genuine connections than 5 years of LinkedIn hustling.
The Ripple Effects
– My creative output tripled (published 12 essays during my “slow year” vs 2 during previous frantic years)
– Developed actual laugh lines instead of stress wrinkles
– Rediscovered the eroticism of waiting – anticipation for a friend’s letter beats instant DM dopamine hits
Slow Living ≠ Laziness
As author Brooke McAlary notes: “It’s about alignment, not inertia.” My current rhythm includes:
– 90-minute “deep dive” work blocks (Pomodoro technique can suck it)
– “Transition rituals” between activities (lighting incense after work hours)
– Quarterly “depth audits” to prune shallow commitments
Your Slow Starter Kit
🔹 Practice “monotasking” with something mundane (wash dishes while JUST washing dishes)
🔹 Identify 3 “depth thieves” in your life (mine: group chats, Amazon impulse buys, saying “yes” reflexively)
🔹 Try the “5 Senses Check-in” hourly – what are you hearing/smelling/feeling RIGHT NOW?
The revolution isn’t about doing less – it’s about being more within what you do. As I write this, there’s a pile of unread emails glaring at me. But the lavender tea in my hands? Warm. The sparrows on my fire escape? Adorably chaotic. My heartbeat? Steady. And that’s productivity I can taste. 🌸✍️