slow living, work life
carving out time in her day to be creative — watching old films, reading, writing, simply letting things soak in… not necessarily for research or productivity, but for finding authentic inspiration.
intentional time for creativity can take many forms. For me, it might mean free-writing until I finish a cup of coffee, or opening a book on my coffee table and writing directly onto its pages (see here for my post on coffee table books… and yes, you are allowed to write in them; they belong to you!). At times it is scrolling eBay with curiosity, or simply listening to new music on the subway — not as background noise, but with attention. The aim is not to force any one idea, but to train your attention so that inspiration has room to arrive in its own time
joy is not a paycheck. It’s a birthright.
which I wrote about last week). It’s something we can train our brains to access, regardless of how busy our schedules are or how chaotic life feels.
Cultivating a Slow Life, From the Brain Out
1. Train your brain to downshift. The first step to slow living is biological. Teach your body how to come off high alert. When you’re chronically stressed, your sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) stays activated, flooding your body with cortisol and adrenaline.
Practice deep diaphragmatic breathing (especially exhalation-focused practices… inhale for 4, exhale for 6…) to engage the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest). Body scans or progressive muscle relaxation promote interoceptive awareness (our brain’s ability to sense the internal state of the body), which helps restore nervous system regulation.
slow-living mental state is best cultivated through open monitoring (a.k.a. awareness without focusing or judgement)
Engage in soft fascination. Nature. Repetitive tasks. Unstructured time. Take a walk without your phone. Let your mind wander. Tend to a plant. Fold laundry slowly. Watch clouds move. Avoid media multitasking, which splits attention and increases cognitive load. Give your mind a break from jumping between inputs.
Soft fascination, a concept from Attention Restoration Theory, refers to gently engaging stimuli (like nature or routine tasks) that capture attention without effort.
Build white space into your day. Your brain needs mental margin - time with no agenda. Block unscheduled time (even 30 min) with no screen, no stimulation, no pressure to be “productive”. Practice doing one thing at a time - eating without multitasking, walking without podcasts, etc.
You can’t slow down if your brain is sleep-deprived. Most emotional reactivity, memory issues, and attention struggles begin with poor sleep.
Dim the lights an hour before bed; this helps melatonin production by reducing blue light exposure. Create a wind-down routine your brain can learn to associate with rest. Prioritize deep sleep - it’s when your brain “cleans house” emotionally and neurologically.
Most of our brains are addicted to what’s next. Future-thinking, planning, rushing. These habits are reinforced by dopamine loops - anticipation keeps us moving toward imagined rewards.
Take three deep breaths before beginning anything new. Notice things out loud - that flower has pink and purple petals, something smells good, it’s so bright out and my eyes don’t seem to like that. Sensory grounding engages the insula and reduces overactivation in the default mode network.
Time feels fast when you’re rushing. But when you slow your mind, time stretches. With neuroplasticity at work, our perception of time is flexible! Try shifting your script. Instead of I have literally zero time to do all the things I want to do today, try, I’m making time for all the things I’d like to do today.
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