If Slow Is The New Black…..

…….how the hell do I fit it into my busy schedule?

Ok I get that my title misses the point of the slow movement, but from the outside looking in, slow seems like it takes up too much time when there is so much else to do in my day.

These have always been my first thoughts when thinking about how to embrace slow, but lately I think I’ve been cracking the code on this happiness pathway.

While we aren’t all making our own goat’s milk soap, feeding our sourdough culture and crafting this winter’s blankets I think the slow movement doesn’t need to be a “one in all in”, type of thing.  I think we can weave slow into our lives ….gradually if not slowly!  (see what I did there)

I’m finding slow is a thought process as well as a physical thing I can do with my body. It’s when I can switch off from mania mode and enjoy where I am.  My mind still wanders happily and it’s often in these times I can have amazing ideas and inspiration, but I’m not frantic.

I’m also not comatose on the couch binge watching Netflix, although this is fun too!

So I found myself in slow mode a couple of times this past weekend and want to share how they play within all the other things life throws up.

1. Netball
2. Walking
3. Wordle
4. Meal Prep

NETBALL

My youngest’s netball season kicked off this weekend and I’m the team manager.  (We aren’t surprised are we – lol!) I enjoy being team manager for a few reasons. 

1. You get to know the girls on the team,
2. You never have to score and 
3. I get a seat out of the rain each week. 

Winning, especially when it’s a winter outdoor sport and they only cancel it if there is lightning!

So up to the club we head with things to organise before the first whistle. There was a bit of bustle but mainly there was chatting with other parents, watching the end of the game before us and then cheering our girls on.  We then took a seat and watched another two games.  Enjoyable. Engaged. Slow.  While there were duties to fulfill I didn’t need to be anywhere else.  My afternoon was in one place with one focus and it was lovely.

WALKING

Sunday morning saw me pull on the leggings, pop in the headphones and creep out while the house was sleeping.  Bliss.  I live in a coastal town so I headed towards the beach, walking it’s length, the headed across the bridge to our twin village and up and around the headland.  I walked 10 kms and while my pace wasn’t slow I felt in that zone.  Again nowhere to be, except out in the wind and salt air.

WORDLE

Have you tripped and fallen into the world of Wordle yet?

What an absolute delight this word game is.  If you are not aware it’s a game where the object is to reveal a 5 letter word.  You make guesses, you have a limited amount, and you discover the letters your word contains depending on the guesses you make.

It’s simple, engaging and hurts your brain all at once.

This falls into the slow category for me. 

I’m fully immersed for the 5 or 10 minutes I play.  Time stops and I focus.  It’s a sweet piece of bliss in my day.

MEAL PREP

I love myself sick when I get to Monday and Tuesday evenings and I don’t need to wonder what’s for dinner, as weekend Loretta got it sorted for me.  Winning.

If I’m going to chop one onion I’d rather chop 5 and get a few things cooking at once. 

Sunday arvo’s have become a meal prep time for me.  I like to pop on some music, have a little sing and groove while I whack out a batch of sausage rolls, a pasta sauce and maybe a curry and soup.  If I can whip up 4 or 5 dishes that cover us for a few dinners, snacks and lunches then it’s a job well done.  It sounds frenetic I know, but it falls into slow for me, as again I’m fully engaged in my own world of bubbling pots and chopped veg.

I think we can all access slow in our own way. 

Creating spaces where we can fully engage, leaning into experiences and enjoying the moment. 

You don’t need to live off the grid to explore this happiness pathway, just be open to experiencing less more expansively.

Loretta