How Slow Living Improves Life

When you picture yourself slowing down, what comes to your mind?

I think of slow mornings in my lamp-lit kitchen while it’s still dark outside. It is quiet, and no one is stirring about yet. I think about holding one of my favorite mugs filled with hot coffee and sipping on it while sitting on my couch. All my comfy pillows and warm, soft blankets on me. I have my Bible open and sit with my eyes shut.

I only hear the air going in and out of my lungs (with the occasional popping of the house settling). Praying to the Lord, I feel so present, and abundant peace flows over me in those moments. My breathing and heart rate slows as I sit here typing, thinking about this setting. 

Sometimes, slowing down looks like reading, crocheting, folding laundry, or cooking while listening to music. Whatever slowing down seems like for you, I encourage you to do it and do it more often. We live in a world obsessed with wasting time in fast, busy chaos and calling it life. What a mistake that is.

 Living is taking in each moment and wringing it out like a washcloth. Finding beauty and thankfulness for the life we are living today! When we think about all the things we have to do, everything we want to accomplish, and the time constraints we have placed on ourselves, we become overwhelmed, anxious, unappreciative, and discontent in the present. But when we focus on life one day, one moment at a time, we trade anxiousness with peace and discontentment with gratitude. 

The Benefits of Slow Living

This change in mindset can be transformative to our lives, our attitudes, and how we treat those around us. Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman states in his podcast Huberman Lab, “There are data to support that gratitude journaling, in particular, can be very beneficial for both body and mind. Everything from improving general states of happiness to reducing anxiety, improving relationships…” (Huberman, 2023.)

So, there is evidence to support taking the time to pull out a journal and write about everything you are grateful for daily. It can enhance mood, decrease worry, and benefit your family and friends. You may not be much of a journal person, and that’s okay. Studies suggest you can still have positive effects on these aspects of life by vocally listing all the things you are thankful for. For me, this is thanking God for each thing in my life. Listing things you are grateful for might sound silly, but it’s not.

Something as simple as “Lord, thank you for a night of rest in my warm bed; thank you for my home with electricity, running water, and a lock so I feel safe and secure at night. Thank you for the food in my fridge and my stomach. For the breath in my lungs and my health. As well as the blessing that my loving husband is. The list can go on and on. These might sound mundane, but some people do not have some of the things you will list.

A Posture of Gratitude

One prominent example most of us can relate to is work. So often, I find myself not being content with my job. But then, I must remember that the Lord has provided me with my job and placed me exactly where I am for a reason. He has given me a job that helps my family pay for the things we need. God is the ultimate provider, so why would I scoff and have a sour attitude about the gift of work?

Another blessing from the Lord is the people he has placed in our lives. It is so easy to focus on ourselves when we pray, but instead, pray for them and what they are facing in their lives. When we take the focus off ourselves and focus on others, we can find a lot to be grateful for. Isn’t it wild that something as simple as counting our blessings can improve our mental and physical health, not to mention our spiritual health? These are precious gifts that we should praise the Lord for.

Thank you, Lord, for everything you have blessed us with; every good and perfect gift is from you. I pray whoever reads this today will be overwhelmed with gratitude, not their to-do list. To you all the Glory, Lord. Amen. 

SOURCES

Huberman, A. (n.d.). The Science of Gratitude & How to build a gratitude practice. Huberman Lab. https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/the-science-of-gratitude-and-how-to-build-a-gratitude-practice