16 Life-Changing Tips For Slow Living In The City
Think “slow living’ and you probably imagine a countryside cottage with an organic herb garden.
Slow living isn’t exactly synonymous with city life.
And many slow living writers often move to the countryside to get away from the big city corporate life. Their books and YouTube videos are hugely inspirational and aesthetic for anyone who doesn’t want to spend their days chasing emails.
But their lifestyle isn’t always an option for the rest of us – and a quiet, countryside life isn’t always possible.
So how can slow living work for you, where you are now? Even if you’re in a small apartment with noisy neighbors?
I live in a big city with lots of traffic and constant noise.
But I’ve found my own path towards a slower-paced life.
I fill my days with more priorities and less reactive busywork. And I’ve cut down on social media and turned my slow morning routine into a daily habit.
Of course it’s not always perfect. And slow living doesn’t mean you’ll never have a hectic yet unproductive day.
But I’ve made slow living work for my current life, in the pockets of time during my morning coffee and evening skincare routine.
So if you’re yearning for some stillness amid the rush, here are my ultimate tips for slow living in the city:
1. Make your home a sanctuary
When you live in a fast-paced city, you want to come home to a restful space that’s a sanctuary from the outside world.
A clean and clutter-free environment lets you recharge from the demands of work, kids and everyday life.
But a space that’s stuffed with clutter just adds to your anxiety.
Here’s how to create a comfortable home:
- Declutter your space in short but regular sessions to keep it neat even when you get busy.
- Choose a few beloved items to display. A clutter-free space should still be beautiful – not stark.
- Keep your home clean and realize the impact it has on your mental health. Dust and piles of laundry are depressing to look at.
- Do your cleaning in manageable chunks. Don’t let everything pile up until that day you finally get enough time.
2. Create a green oasis
Did you know that just looking at the color green reduces your stress levels?
Create a green oasis in your home to enjoy the life-changing benefits of leafy palms and ferns.
Fill your garden with a few plants that are easy to maintain when you’re busy. Deck your balcony with potted palms and put out some lounge chairs to create an oasis of tranquility.
And if you don’t have a garden or a balcony, bring a few luscious plants into your living room and line your windowsills with greenery.
3. Take a few slow moments every day
You can’t transform your life over a single weekend. So start with small yet consistent habits and don’t underestimate what 10 minutes can do.
Inject a few moments of slow into your day. It can be as simple as a morning coffee on your balcony with a guided meditation instead of scrolling social media in bed.
Or take a lunch break in the sun and get away from your desk. It will feel indulgent, but you’ll be much better rested. And your afternoons will be far more productive.
4. Create a slow morning routine
Create a slow morning routine that’s as automatic as brushing your teeth.
A good morning routine sets the tone for the rest of your day, leaving you energized and better-equipped to take on the stresses of everyday life.
Wake up earlier to give yourself a few moments to journal, meditate or do some yoga stretches.
Because that early wake-up time will pay off throughout your entire day. It will leave you more grounded to make quality time for yourself and your loved ones.
Practices to fit into your slow morning routine:
- Do a 5-minute guided meditation session with an app like Insight Timer, where you’ll find a slew of ready-made morning meditations.
- Set a timer for 15 minutes and fill up a journal page with everything that you’re grateful for.
- Do a few sun salutations or some stretches in bed along with a YouTube video to prepare your body for the day ahead.
5. Tune out in the evenings
Big cities never sleep and it’s tempting to stay up at night dealing with emails or going out when you’d rather be resting.
So when you’re done with work, really put it away for the night. Dismiss those nagging thoughts that you should be productive at every waking moment.
You might feel so exhausted at night that you just want to binge-watch TV series and scroll your phone all evening.
But those escapist hours don’t actually leave you refreshed.
You’ll be surprised how invigorating a good book or some journaling can be in the evening. Just push past that initial fatigue and spend a half hour doing something you really love.
6. Spend your commute wisely
If you spend a lot of your time stuck in traffic, use it to your advantage.
Do some guided meditations with an app on your headphones. Or tune into a fascinating audio book or an inspiring podcast.
When you’re going from one meeting to another, make your commute a time to look forward to. Use it to recharge and slow down. Your productivity will thank you later.
If you find yourself constantly rushed in the morning, then set your alarm just 15 minutes earlier.
7. Find some quiet spots in the city
Whether it’s a neighborhood cafe or a corner park, find some quiet spots in the city for your lunch breaks and weekend strolls.
Have a few go-to spots in the city where you can take a breather, do some journaling or have a weekend family picnic.
If you live in a city near water, then put that on your itinerary. Studies show that water makes you happier and calmer. And it’s a much-needed oasis from a concrete-filled metropolis.
Put these getaways on your calendar and make them an appointment you keep with yourself. They’re as important as any work meeting.
Quiet spots to unwind in the city include:
- A neighborhood park.
- A quiet, residential district where you can take a leisurely walk.
- A library with a spacious reading room where you can catch up on a novel or do some journaling.
- A botanical garden or quirky museum off the beaten path.
- A quiet neighborhood cafe or outdoor lounge with great views.
8. Practice mindfulness
Stay mindful of your environment and stay in the present moment by finding novelty in your everyday surroundings. A little mindfulness goes a long way in fighting stress, anxiety and a hurried pace of life.
Sign up for a weekend walking tour in a new neighborhood to experience something new. Take a different route to work and notice the slanting light at your desk in the afternoon.
These small moments help you find novelty in your everyday routine.
9. Ignore small annoyances
Whether it’s an Uber driver who gets hopelessly lost and ignores their GPS, or a colleague chatting nonstop at your desk, your anger won’t help the situation.
Breathe deeply and let the small things go. Have a sense of humor in stressful situations and remind yourself that nothing is important enough to lose your peace.
Take 5 minutes with a meditation app whenever you need a breather. Or get outside in the sunshine to walk off the stress.
10. Say no more often
Use your spare time wisely because you probably don’t have a lot of it in the big city.
Don’t fill up your weekend planner with events that you feel obligated to attend. Resist social pressure and ask yourself what you really look forward to doing. Check in with yourself and be honest.
Plan carefully and only choose activities that energize you.
And take time to just do nothing. Catch up on sleep, watch a good film, get some take-out and play a board game.
Don’t feel like you’re missing out when you stay in and do “nothing.” Rest and white space is just as important as work.
11. Get to know your neighborhood
Reconnect with your everyday environment to make your city a slightly smaller place.
Find a few favorite cafes to visit regularly. Get to know your barista, your neighbor and your grocery store clerk.
Support local small businesses and artisans that make things by hand.
Transform your errands and grocery trips into a real pleasure – and not just another chore on your to-do list.
12. Forget about multitasking
If you’ve ever had a hectic day at work that left you exhausted with very little progress to show for it, then you know the dangers of multitasking.
But how can you get more focused when many modern day offices uphold open floor plans and constant streams of chat?
Monotasking tips:
- If you’re stuck in a long chain of back and forth emails with no resolution in sight, pick up your phone or stop by the office of the person you’re emailing with. Often a quick conversation is much faster than a long string of emails.
- Turn off your email notifications and resist the desire to check your inbox every five minutes. Set a timer and do an hour of focused work, then reply to any new emails once you’re done.
13. Take a real lunch break
A real lunch away from your screens does wonders to get you over that afternoon hump.
And it makes the rest of your day all the more productive – which only ends up saving you time.
Eat your meal mindfully and savor every bite to inject a moment of slow into your work day.
Get out of the office for a few minutes into the sunshine. Even a walk around the block gives you perspective and energizes you for the work ahead.
14. Get outside
It’s not always easy to get out into nature when you’re living in a concrete jungle.
So make it a goal to spend a few minutes each day in some greenery, even if that’s just a city park.
Observe the changes in the seasons, listen to the birds chirp and feel the grass under your feet. Start a nature journal to record your observations.
Or take a moment in the evening to look out at the moon or feel the brisk air. Getting outside does wonders for your energy levels and mental health. A few minutes in the fresh air even lets you sleep better at night.
15. Do guided meditations
Meditation is tricky when your mind is constantly rushed and full of fleeting anxieties. It feels impossible to sit down for 10 minutes and do nothing.
And that’s where guided meditation comes in.
If you’ve never managed to make meditation a habit, then start slowly with a 10-minute guided meditation.
A guided meditation takes you through the process of quieting down – and it teaches you to listen to your thoughts and observe their passing.
Guided meditations are available on YouTube and on apps like Insight Timer. Tune in over your morning coffee, during your commute or on your lunch break.
16. Get creative
Channel your creativity and pick up an analog hobby that gets you creating something with your hands.
Whether that’s sketching, quilting or baking bread, creating something with your hands brings you moments of mindfulness away from your infinite scroll.
And it leaves you feeling satisfied with a refreshing sense of accomplishment.
Read next:
10 Must-Read Books On Slow Living (That Will Inspire You)
10 Inspiring Slow Living Instagram Accounts
9 Essential Tips To Make A Vision Board (That Really Works)
Reclaim your life from the digital noise.
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