You wake up after a stressful night in which you didn't get as much sleep as you wanted, and as soon as you put your foot down, everything starts going wrong.
Spin very fast. Showers, breakfasts, emails, taking the kids to school, getting all the projects done, eating in front of the computer, taking the kids, shopping, putting on the washing machines, hanging out, cleaning, cooking… Burst yet? If this isn't your life, congratulations, but you certainly know someone who lives this way.
Ana Gonzalez and José Mendiola were among them, and after reaching their limits and only when life gave them a wake-up call, they decided
Slower. And so they gathered to write the book with four hands
The art of living slowerwhere they try to help us live a calmer life so that we do not receive the bill that happened to them.
“Living slowly has only one goal:
Enjoy your free time And with it your life,” the authors say. “It is
The slow movement of life It is a philosophy that seeks to slow down the pace of modern life and reconnect with oneself, with nature and with the people around us. It appeared in Italy in the 1980s as a response to globalization
Immediate culture And excessive consumption,” they explain in the book.
And this is it
Slower It also leads to lower our stress level by spending more time doing activities that fill us up,
Enjoy the present more And without worrying too much about the future or what happened in the past. Basically, the pillars of mindfulness.
As they say on social networks: “We were deceived.” They sold us that we multitask, and that we can do it
To do several things at onceBut this is actually a lie. Our brain is not prepared for this, and instead of processing these tasks, what we do is switch between them rapidly, which causes…
Stress and frustration.
The four steps of the slow down method to slow down your life cycle
1. Learn how to set priorities
The authors recommend first addressing these issues
Things that are really important to you. The problem is that, often times, we don't know what our priorities are because we haven't made time for them.
Self-knowledge. “The goal was always to think about others and listen to ourselves, which was selfish or selfish,” Gonzalez and Mendiola wrote. “We live in such a fast and disconnected time that we don't even know what we are.”
According to the authors, we do not know
We are silent with ourselvesWe fill our minds with noise so we can't hear ourselves. Podcasts, TV series, music… anything is good as long as it doesn't waste time
Alone with our thoughts. For this reason, they recommend easy actions like turning off mobile notifications or turning off the TV if there's nothing you really want to watch.
Incorporating the slowdown method into your daily life will make you live calmer and happier. /
2. Simplify your life
For authors, it's about reducing things, people, tasks, and obligations to help us
Focus on the basics We forget what is unnecessary. The reduction must be made
You are distinguished by your principlesYour values and needs, trying to keep all your plans simple.
And how? With cliched things like
organize Housework once a week so you don't have to think about it quickly at the last minute (which adds stress and ultimately makes it worse), don't look at the clock on vacation to fully enjoy it and remember that
Do not do anythingSometimes it is useful.
3. Plan your duties and desires
Planning does not mean existence
rigid In these decisions his mind cannot be changed throughout the process. “Planning is the guide, the rudder with which we continue on the path, however
You have to flowAnd adapt to new conditions,” they say in their book.
You can start by planning your week in the agenda. So set aside a few days to exercise yourself
Self careIndividual moments with your children, with your friends, with your partner… If you already have a schedule, it's easier to fit in the rest
Responsibilities So you can do these kinds of things.
The authors remind you that it is important to know
Focus on everything you doDon't fill your days with commitments, review your priorities and be serious
Aware of the time you have So that this planning does not turn against you and end up putting pressure on you unnecessarily.
4. Pay attention to self-care
It depends on what they are
Your tastes and needs. You could sit down for an hour to read a good book, make yourself a coffee, or open a bottle of wine just to enjoy a glass of wine in peace. Or even walk around a beautiful part of your city just to enjoy its beauty.
“One has to be ready to be creative
Illusion in every action It does,” they point out in the book. You don't need to go on a trip to an exotic place to feel that your life is full and that you enjoy it. Life consists of
A few moments And you have to be ready to enjoy it.
“Creator. Devoted pop culture specialist. Certified web fanatic. Unapologetic coffee lover.”