Retirement is that precious moment in life when you finally have time. Why not enjoy it fully and consider Slow Living?
Slow Living is much more than a trendy movement. It is a mindset that influences how we live and interact with the world. Living more slowly invites us to redefine our priorities and give them the place of choice they deserve. The essence of Slow Living? Connecting our daily actions to our deepest values and making the most of the present moment for long-term fulfillment.
The origins of Slow Living
When McDonald’s planned to open a branch in the heart of Rome in 1986, it was a red rag for the city's restaurant owners. They improvised themselves as activists and demonstrated in the Spanish Steps, a historical and usually highly touristic place. Their motto: no to fast-food! Their plan of action? Distribute bowls of pasta cooked with fresh and local products. The fast-food giant backed down. A few weeks later, the journalist and food critic Carlo Petrini launched the Slow Food movement. It is now an organization present in no less than 150 countries.
In 2004, the writer Carl Honoré relaunched the concept with his best-seller In Praise of Slowness.
But Slow Living is not just about food. That's why we can easily integrate it into all areas of our lives.
Living more slowly also means living better:
- Be a more informed consumer by choosing quality over quantity
- Adopt eco-friendly gestures
- Embrace minimalism (Lien interne article désencombrement)
- Explore our creativity
We live in a society where everything goes so fast that we sometimes feel like we are going through life without really enjoying it. That's why Slow Living is growing worldwide. Because it makes time what it originally was: a simple variable, not a value.
How to start practicing Slow Living?
The word slowness often has a negative connotation. It is often associated with laziness or incapacity. It was about time to restore its image! Did you know that the word Slow is also an acronym?
- S (Sustainable)
- Has a small carbon footprint on the planet
- L (Local)
- Locally produced
- O (Organic)
- Free from pesticides and other chemicals
- W (Whole)
- Unprocessed
There is no particular method to integrate Slow Living into your life. Again, it's a mindset. Opening yourself to the idea of living more slowly, rethinking your habits, and putting what really matters first is the starting point.
Get away from this habit of always maximizing your time. You don't need to do as much as possible in as little time as possible to feel fulfilled. The absence of professional responsibilities offers retirees new opportunities in terms of time. Embrace simplicity!
Here are some clues :
- Set aside some alone time for yourself so that you can feel calm and serene
- Take a walk in nature
- Adopt a pet
- Add plants to your home
- Awaken your curiosity. Cook a traditional Korean dish or watch a movie from another continent in its original language with subtitles
- Be creative: draw, try scrapbooking, write
- Laugh
- Get excited
- Buy less
- Stay tuned to your sensory needs
- Pay attention to others
- Preserve the planet
- Think outside the box
How to implement Slow Food exactly?
It is easy to understand that the very term Slow Food was born as a reaction to fast- food. It rejects processed food, swallowed in a hurry in front of a screen or behind the wheel. On the contrary, slow food encourages us to choose and cook our own meals based on fresh and seasonal food, from local production, if possible organic. It leads us to appreciate the full process and to take the time to savor it consciously.
And to take things a step further, why not grow your own vegetable garden? It is very possible to set up an urban vegetable garden on your balcony. Herbs, cherry tomatoes, strawberries and radishes will delight your taste buds and those of your guests. That's Slow Living too!
Slow Living for every area of life
Slow Living is applicable in all areas of our lives. Each of us can disconnect from TV screens and other electronic devices, buy according to our needs rather than our desires, respect the planet or step out of our habits. Here are three examples of simple things to do.
Slow Living in tourism
Today's retirees are active, and travel is often an important part of their lives.
Did you know about Slow Tourism? The next time you travel, consider cutting back on activities at your chosen location. We often feel like we need a vacation to recover from our vacation. It's normal! We want to see everything, visit everything, and thus put unnecessary pressure on our shoulders instead of enjoying the moment.
Instead, reduce the number of places you visit and go deeper into your discoveries. Embrace getting lost. Let your senses wander. Take a stroll. Soak up the local atmosphere and culture. Taste the local delicacies, communicate with people even if you don't speak the language. There is always a way to understand each other. It often leads to laughter and immediate bonding.
Slow Living and cosmetics
Use organic cosmetics. Buy them in stores that specialize in natural products. You can also learn how to make your own skincare products with simple ingredients and pass on this knowledge to your daughters or granddaughters.
Integrate Slow Living into your decor
Keep your ecological conscience alive. Surround yourself with sustainable materials such as organic cotton, linen, or wood for your bedding, rugs, or decorative objects. This natural touch will be even more relaxing. The idea is to get rid of plastic and other synthetic materials.
Creating quality moments for ourselves and our loved ones, staying connected to our senses, enjoying and being amazed by nature, preserving the planet, eating fresh and local food, all this and more is the essence of Slow Living. Don't wait any longer and integrate Slow into your daily life!
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