\n#slowliving\n#minimalism<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nSlow\nliving and urban lifestyle are two things that can never seem to go\ntogether. Urban lifestyle is fast-paced, stressful, and disorienting.\nSlow living, on the other hand, is all about mindfulness, connecting\nwith your surroundings, and being conscious of your actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIt\u2019s\ndifficult to imagine how slow living can work in a big city,\nespecially because of the imageries associated with slow living: long\nwalks in the nature, a cozy area to read a book in the house, or\ncooking a fancy meal. Is there time and space in the city for such\nactivities? What exactly is slow living anyway?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nSlow\nliving has its roots in Carlo Petrini\u2019s protest against the opening\nof McDonald\u00b4s restaurant in Piazza di Spagna in Rome in 1986. A few\nyears after the protest, the slow food movement was founded. This\nevolved into the slow movement, which now advocates a cultural shift\ntoward slowing down life\u2019s pace through subcultures such as slow\nliving, cittaslow (slow city), slow travel, and slow design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe\nterm slow movement is now used beyond just slow food and slow living.\nThere\u2019s a slow version for every activity you can think of, such as\nslow reading, slow education, slow exercise, and slow religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nBut\npeople who are unaware of the meaning of \u201cslow living\u201d think that\nit is about doing everything as slowly as possible, or that it is\nanti-technology and focuses heavily on the aesthetic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nNone\nof those are true. Slow living isn\u2019t the perfectly staged images\nyou see on Instagram. It exists in all forms and colors. It also\nisn\u2019t about rejecting technological advancements. It\u2019s about\nsmartly using technology as a tool rather than being used by it. And\nit surely isn\u2019t about living your life in slow motion. It\u2019s about\ngaining time by doing things that are important to you, and as a\nresult doing everything at the right speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe\ndefinition of slow living is a lot more malleable than we think. It\nis about adjusting the speed of your activity to the goal you want to\naccomplish, and pacing yourself when necessary. In fact, it\u2019s not\nall about speed. It also means structuring your life around meaning\nand fulfillment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIf\nthe information about slow living has intrigued you, you must now be\nwondering, \u201cIs this lifestyle achievable when you live in a big\ncity?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nSlow\nliving doesn\u2019t have any prerequisites on where you live or your\nenvironment. You can lead a mindful life in New York and be stressed\nin the beach paradise of your dreams, and vice versa. It\u2019s all\nabout the mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nAt\nPl\u00e1zida, we embrace the urban lifestyle that comes with having\nMadrid as our home. The bustling energy of the city is part of our\nidentity. But we believe in practicing slow living in our day to day\nlives, and we are dedicated in helping members slow down and find\nmeaning in their work as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cI\ntry to have a slow breakfast by eating yogurt with fruits and\ndrinking yogi tea. Sometimes I have bread with avocado and extra\nvirgin olive oil. Everything organic. For me, slow living is being\nconscious of all the little details that make your life better. That\nincludes taking the time to dedicate to every coworker that comes to\nPl\u00e1zida. Speak with them, get to know them a little better, make\ntime to introduce them to other people so they do not feel isolated.\nAgain, being conscious of how people are acknowledged and making them\nfeel good.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nHere\nare a couple tips for you to start your slow living in a big city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nHave\nyou thought about how often you have used or heard the following\nwords? \u201cRunning out of time\u201d, \u201cI need to go\u201d, \u201cpressed for\ntime\u201d, \u201churry\u201d, \u201clate\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nChances\nare, you hear them pretty often. It seems almost like a strange\nphenomena that everyone is affected by, but no one talks about. Why\ndo we do this? Here are a few hypotheses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nBusyness\nhas become a badge of honor or a status symbol in the modern society.\nIt shows our importance and self-worth when we deem ourselves too\n\u201cbusy\u201d for something. Busyness also results from the fear of\nmissing out (FOMO), because of our need to experience everything and\nshare the highlight reel of life on our social media feeds. It is a\nbyproduct of the digital age, because our constant connectedness is\npromoting multitasking and encouraging us to stay \u201conline\u201d.\nLastly, busyness is a way to escape the complexity of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe\nhypotheses above show that busyness is mostly a feeling, and that we\nhave a choice on whether we want to feel it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWe\ndiscussed above that slow living is about structuring your life\naround meaning and fulfillment. Then it is no surprise that busyness\nresults from misplacing your priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThink\nabout your life\u2019s purpose and define your priorities around it.\nThen take a look at the things that don\u2019t belong in your list of\npriorities. Start saying \u201cno\u201d to them so that you can eliminate\n\u201cI\u2019m too busy\u201d from your vocabulary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nBy\nsaying \u201cno\u201d to nonessential things, you are structuring your life\naround things that give you more meaning and fulfillment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nA\nzen spot is a place where you can relax, recharge, and clear your\nmind. At times when the city life becomes too much, you can go to\nyour zen spot to connect with yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nYour\nzen spot could be a comfy couch next to the window in your home, but\nit can be anywhere. In fact, big cities are full of hidden spots\nwhere you can escape the crowd and enjoy the moment. Try quieter\nparts of your local park, a library, gardens at the art gallery, or\njust a neighborhood cafe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWhen\nyou live in the city, you\u2019re constantly surrounded by noise and\npeople, whether you are alone in your apartment or out walking in the\nstreets. Being plugged to your phone all day only distracts your mind\nfurther instead of helping you unwind during idle moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nTry\nleaving your phone behind at work and taking your lunch to a nearby\npark, putting your phone away before bedtime, and setting rules for\nyourself on when you should unplug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIt\u2019s\neasy to spend long hours indoors when living in the city, which can\nleave us feeling lethargic. Put your phone behind and go outside. You\nwill notice the beauty in seemingly mundane things, which can help\nyou improve your mood and appreciate your surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIf\nyou don\u2019t know where to begin, try being a tourist in your own\ncity. When you\u2019re a tourist, you don\u2019t rush things. You enjoy\neven the mundane things like going to a supermarket and going for a\nwalk. When you see everything with fresh eyes, it can give you a new\nperspective on things and also help you appreciate the place you live\nin a lot more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nWhen\nwe become busy, we tend to skip proper meals and live on meals on the\ngo. Not only are most pre-made meals less healthy than home made\nmeals, it also takes away an opportunity for you to appreciate the\nfood you eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nSet\naside time during the week to prepare a nice meal for you and your\nfamily or friends. Cooking can help you unwind, get create, and find\nfulfillment, all the while connecting you to the food that will\nnourish you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nHow\ndo you practice slow living? Do you live in a big city? Share your\ntips with us at @plazidaexperiences!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
#slowliving #minimalism Slow living and urban lifestyle are two things that can never seem to go together. Urban lifestyle is fast-paced, stressful, and disorienting. Slow living, on the other hand, is all about mindfulness, connecting with your surroundings, and being conscious of your actions. It’s difficult to imagine how slow living can work in a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3030,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\n