How not to rush and enjoy life

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Everything You Need to Know About Slow Motion Culture.

We work on vacation, flip through the news feed in the toilet, eat on the go, watch a movie and read a book at the same time. “Minimum time, maximum efficiency” is the mantra of our time. We don't even notice that the more we hurry, the less we succeed.

Slow life culture advocates live by the "slow down to speed up" principle. They deliberately abandoned the race and try to enjoy every moment of life.

What is "slow motion"

Slow movement, or slow life, originated in 1986 when journalist Carlo Petrini spoke out against the opening of a McDonald’s restaurant in Piazza di Spagna in Rome. In protest, he organized a banquet in the same square with traditional Italian pasta.

Despite the fact that McDonald’s still opened, the Italian's efforts were not in vain: the letter M, the traditional golden arch, was made several times smaller. In addition, thanks to Petrini, a movement called "slow food" or "slow food" was formed. Its supporters oppose tasteless fast food and urge to relax at least at the dinner table.

Now "slow motion" has more than a dozen directions. In addition to "slow eating", there is the same education, aging, science, medicine, fashion, reading, city, money, television, travel and so on. Many organizations were opened within the movement. Among the most influential are the American Foundation "Extend the Moment", the European Society for Time Dilation, the Japanese Slowness Club, and the World Slowness Institute.

The number of adherents of this culture is growing.

What do they stand for

Slow life supporters disapprove of the accelerated pace of life and consider it pointless and imposed. In their opinion, a loser is not one who works little, but one who fills his schedule to capacity and is always in a hurry.

“He who is in a hurry is forced to slide on the surface. We have no time to look into deep meanings, to build relationships with the world and people, "wrote the ideologist of the" slow movement "Carl Honore in the book" No fuss. How to stop rushing and start living."

Honoré believes that people work hard to create the illusion of vigorous activity, to emphasize their importance or to forget about everyday problems. At the same time, he does not call for abandoning civilization and leaving to live in the forest. "Slowlife" are ordinary people who want to live well in a fast-paced modern world. The philosophy of movement boils down to finding balance.

When you need to hurry, hurry up. But when you don't have to rush, slow down.

Why is it worth trying

The race to stay ahead is inevitably accompanied by stress, insomnia, and digestive disorders. According to Stress statistics 2021: How common is stress and who’s most affected? / SingleCare American Psychological Association, 75% of American adults experience moderate to high levels of stress each month.

Chronic stress raises blood pressure and blood sugar levels, lowers concentration, disrupts the digestive system, and causes insomnia.

Lack of sleep damages the nervous and immune systems, causes diabetes and heart disease, irritability and depression. It is worth getting carried away with fast food, as headaches, acne, excess weight appear, blood pressure and the level of "bad" cholesterol rise.

The love of haste ends in death, among other things.

Speed control is critical to saving lives and cities are becoming more liveable / WHO World Health Organization, with 3,000 people killed and 100,000 seriously injured every day due to speeding. In Japan, 2,000 people die every year due to stress at work.

Science and statistics are on the "slow" side. They enjoy life more and get sick less because they avoid stress and try to live every moment.

How to join

There is no one-size-fits-all rule of thumb. The tips below will help you understand in which direction you can work.

How to eat

• Avoid fast food and convenience foods like frozen lasagna and pizza. As a last resort, snack on fruits, vegetable salads, nuts.
• Don't eat on the go.
• Love cooking. It is akin to meditation.
• Prepare whole meals with fresh ingredients.
• Get in the habit of having dinner with your family at a common table, rather than being alone in front of the computer.

How to work

• Work so that there is time for yourself and your family.
• Learn to say no.
• Quit if you wanted to.
• Set aside 10 minutes a day for meditation or 20 minutes for an afternoon nap. This increases productivity and concentration. So did John F. Kennedy, Thomas Edison, Napoleon Bonaparte, John Rockefeller.
• Inspirations come in a relaxed state. In the shower, on a walk, during meditation, on a run, before bed. The brain goes into a slow mode, releasing long waves of alpha and theta.
• Take guilt-free weekends.
• Don't work on weekends or vacations.

How to relax

• Walk. Walking improves health, calms the mind, allows you to notice many details along the way and build a relationship with the world.
• Allow yourself to mess around. Remember that Charles Darwin worked 4 hours a day, and Albert Einstein lay in his office for hours and did nothing.
• Do not try to cram all the entertainment into one evening: a movie, a concert, and a book.
• Take a walk in nature. Walking in the woods is the best antidepressant. Phytoncides contained in trees and plants increase the body's defense reaction, improve well-being, and lower blood pressure.
• Do handicrafts, gardening, or find another relaxing hobby.

How to do sports

• Don't squeeze all the juice out of your workout. Sport should be energizing, not disabled.
• Remember that fat burns at a heart rate of 70–75% of maximum. This happens when walking or jogging fast. If the heart rate is higher, then the body begins to consume carbohydrates.
• Before you start mastering a difficult exercise, make sure your body is ready for it.
• Try slow sports like yoga, qigong, pilates. They are available to everyone.

How to have sex

• Fast is not always good, but often bad. On average, sex lasts 3 to 7 minutes, and a woman needs 10–20 minutes to warm up.
• Try tantric sex. You don't have to become a religious adept to do this.
• If you are categorically against esoteric practices, then just do not drive and enjoy the process.

How to drive a car

• Use the machine only when absolutely necessary. Most places can be reached on foot or by public transport.
• Do not hurry. At 80 km / h, you will cover 4 km in 3 minutes. At 130 km / h - one minute less. What will you do with this minute?
• If you get cut off, humble yourself. No need to catch up with the driver, yell at him through an open window and cut back.

There is no general formula for slowing down for all occasions. It is up to you to decide where to slow down. The only thing that can get in your way is greed, habits, and fear of falling behind. It takes courage to give up speed. However, you now know that procrastination is normal and even beneficial.