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Do you sometimes feel like we live in a world where more equals better? More money, more clothes, more gadgets, more productivity, more growth, … It seems like a big part of our life is in fast-forward modus. We find ourselves entangled in the web of constant notifications, hectic schedules, and the pressure to keep up with the ever-increasing pace of life. We are all very busy and many people perceive being busy as being successful. But is that true?
Personally, the older I get the more I feel a need to slow down and embrace simplicity. And I think I am not alone. I can see that more and more people see the art of slowing down as a necessity, not just a luxury.
Research shows that if you go too fast, you overload your cognitive abilities, and they degrade. One of the leading experts on this topic, G. Claxton, analysed what happens to a person’s focus if they engage in deliberately slow practices like yoga and mindfulness. He is very clear in this: slowness nurtures attention, speed shatters it.
So, how can we create simplicity in our lives and savour the beauty of a slower, more deliberate existence?
These are things that work for me:
- Disconnect to reconnect.
In a world dominated by smartphones and social media, taking a break from screens can be incredibly rejuvenating. I discovered the Focus button on my phone, and it is very helpful to designate specific times during the day and especially in the evening to disconnect from my device. Instead, I choose to read a book, take a walk, or simply sit in silence and observe my surroundings. This intentional disconnection can open the door to a more profound connection with yourself and your loved ones.
- Identify the essential.
When we stop, pause, and reflect on what really matters in our life it is much easier to say no to tasks and events that don’t contribute positively to our life. Focusing on what truly resonates with my values helps me to simplify my life and create space for what truly matters.
- Practice mindfulness.
I must admit, in the beginning of this year I postponed my mindfulness sessions because I was too busy. Health issues forced me to slow down, and I rediscovered the value of incorporating mindfulness again in my life. I started with short sessions, and I am slowly building them up again. And again, the research shows clearly it improves focus and calmness and reduces stress and anxiety.
- Embrace slow living.
Slow living is about savouring the simple things and appreciating quality over quantity. Activities like gardening, cooking new dishes, painting, have allowed me to reduce my stress and be more mindful. We all know the saying less is more, a phrase adopted by minimalist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It might be a cliché, but I think it is true. Focusing on fewer tasks and having less in the way can give us more time and more freedom in our lives. And having more time causes less stress and frustration. A technique that has been very helpful for me is using the question:” Do I have to do this now?” and then change the emphasis in the question. Do I have to do this now? Do I have to do this now? Do I have to do this now? It turns out most of the time I don’t have to do it now 😊.
I also learned that in a world that glorifies speed and constant activity, slowing down and embracing simplicity is simply an act of self-care. It is about reclaiming your time, energy, and attention for the things that truly matter. It also makes your life more meaningful and fulfilling. So, take a deep breath, step back, and savour the beauty of a slower, simpler life. You deserve it.
Dutch version (dutch version)
EMBRACING SIMPLICITY
Do you sometimes have the feeling that we live in a world where more equals better? More money, more clothes, more gadgets, more productivity, more growth, … It seems like a large part of our lives is in fast-forward mode. We get caught up in the web of constant notifications, hectic schedules, and the pressure to keep up with the ever-increasing pace of life. We are all very busy and for many people ‘being busy’ equals ‘being successful’. But is that true?
The older I get, the more I feel the need to slow down and embrace simplicity. And I think I’m not the only one. I see more and more people seeing the art of slowing down as a necessity, and not just a luxury.
Research shows that if you go too fast, your cognitive skills become overloaded and they deteriorate. One of the leading experts in this field, G. Claxton, analyzed what happens to a person’s focus when he consciously engages in slow practices such as yoga and mindfulness. He is very clear about this: slowness nourishes attention, speed shatters it.
How can we create simplicity in our lives and enjoy the beauty of a slower, more conscious existence?
These are 4 things that work for me:
- Disconnect to connect.
In a world dominated by smartphones and social media, taking a break from screens can be incredibly beneficial. I discovered the Focus button on my phone and it’s really useful for designating specific times during the day and especially in the evening when I can disconnect from my device. Instead, I choose to read a book, take a walk, or just sit in silence and observe my surroundings. This intentional disconnection can open the door to a deeper connection with yourself and your loved ones.
- Identify the essential.
When we stop, pause and think about what really matters in our lives, it is much easier to say no to tasks and events that do not contribute positively to our lives. By focusing on what really resonates with my values, I can simplify my life and create space for what really matters.
- Mindfulness.
I have to admit that I postponed my mindfulness sessions at the beginning of this year because I was too busy. Health issues forced me to slow down, and I rediscovered the value of reintegrating mindfulness into my life. I started with short sessions and am now slowly building them up again. And yes, the science is clear here too: mindfulness improves focus and calmness and reduces stress and anxiety.
- Embrace a slow life.
Living slower is about enjoying the simple things and valuing quality over quantity. Activities such as gardening, cooking new dishes and painting have helped me reduce my stress and be more aware. We all know the saying ‘less is more’, an expression often used by minimalist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It may be a cliché, but I think it’s true. By focusing on fewer tasks and having fewer things in the way, we can gain more time and more freedom in our lives. And having more time means less stress and frustration. One technique that has been very helpful for me is using the question, “Should I do this now?” and then change the emphasis in the question. Must should I do this now? Must I do this now? Do I have to do this? not doing? Very often it turns out that I don’t have to do it now 😊.
I’ve also learned that in a world that glorifies speed and constant activity, slowing down and embracing simplicity is simply an act of self-care. It’s about reclaiming your time, energy and attention for the things that really matter. It also makes your life more meaningful and fulfilling. So take a deep breath, step back and enjoy the beauty of a slower, simpler life. You deserve it.
